Posted on 07/03/2005 6:32:52 AM PDT by FreedomNeocon
hey - you are in CA, and have that monster Red BFT... you gonna try to take a squint at the impact?
(fwir, no point in trying, but...)
NASA channel reports suggest quite a show as the ejecta plume rises upward into the sunlight!!
The space program was waylaid in the mid seventies--to genuinely progress, we'd have had to forget about providing rides and face time to flyboys for at least a few years. But, no, we've been shuttle-stuck because we let celebrity pilots run the show.
And we coulda been to Mars by now. That's the irony--because they couldn't let go of their rides long enough to let the engineers go full-scale to develop unmanned craft, we've gone nowhere with manned.
The inspiration the early space program provided, especially to young intelligent people was priceless, not to mention that it was a huge victory in the Cold War. But the opportunity to be the first to land on the Moon and all the good things that came with it was a one shot deal that probably won't be equaled until life is discovered elsewhere, if it exists. No amount of money, puffed up political speeches, or sending racially, and sexually diverse crews to Mars is going to recapture it.
:)
List of names.
At least the owners of the vehicle will know who to sue for
impact damages.
I'm headed up to the cabin in a couple of hours. Will be watching through a 16" f-5 Newtonian.
I'm in California and I worried about that....
Wow, those guys have some zany ideas! :)
I'll have my 6 inch reflector out tonite along with the binocs, my motor on the scope is shot, gotta replace it. I was at one of the best telescope stores in the nation last week, so many toys, so few dollars.
I guess that means you have a clear sky. sigh.
The next phase should not be just more of the same. It is past time to get down to business. Actual commerce, not the business of science or whatever NASA thinks they are doing.
Hope the sky is clear for you. This will be the first time anything visible [cube corner reflectors aside] has been done in outer space beyond earth orbit.
While Comcast was still giving me NASA-TV, I watched it any time there was a live event and sometimes more. I'll never forget that group of mostly young engineers as the two rovers landed on Mars. Between those events and what Rutan is doing, I have a small inkling of your frustration with NASA. Truth be known, I'll bet much of the NASA manned space program is in a panic behind the scenes.
You must say more.
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/WebCams/parks/sekicam/sekicam.htm
The cabin is at about 5300 feet. This is a shot of me and one of my scopes (14.5" f5.5) from a few years ago.
You wouldn't happen to have a CCD on that would you? It would be fantastic to have some FReeper images of the impact.
I am making a list of reasons and related categories for this event. National defense was added. Tnx for the suggestion.
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