Posted on 04/19/2006 8:44:57 AM PDT by inkling
It's actually pretty easy to lose a towed array if you deploy it in adverse sea conditions. That's why they have winches.
(slightly edited)
The flight software installed on the spacecraft correctly computed the velocity change and transmitted it to earth. The ground software, however, was originally written for the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission, and the MGS flight software did not compute nor transmit velocity change information. The ground software, then, discarded the transmitted velocity change and recomputed it. Since the Mars Climate orbiter used a differently-sized thruster than Mars Global Surveyor, an update to the thruster equation in the ground software was necessary. The conversion factor from pound-seconds to newton-seconds was buried in the original equation and not immediately identifiable, and so it was not included in the updated equation. Thus, the ground software reported calculated "impulse bits" which were a factor of 4.45 too large (1 pound force = 4.45 newtons). Subsequent processing of the calculated impulse bit values from the AMD file by the navigation software underestimated the effect of the thruster firings on the spacecraft trajectory by this factor.
They were probably trying to find the propeller that fell off their aircraft carrier.
Anyone remember the Charles DeGaulle losing a prop on its maiden voyage?
Thanks for the clarification. I remembered it was something to do with the mirrors but I didn't recall exactly what.
Speaking as one who has been thru many hurricanes, If you put something over the side in a storm, and expect it to stay connected, you are an idiot!.........Sacre Bleu! Ze rope! She is broke!.........
Bet it took billions from to start to finish to correct the problem, huh?
LOL yup. "We've ground several mirrors to the same specification for Keyhole satellites...whoops."
M*rde alors!
Le Canard Enchaine reported that the captain of the De Grasse frigate, decided against his lieutenants' advice to try out the 10-tonne sonar in rough seas
I know this is from France, does it make sense to anyone?
It was lost in stormy seas, but the captain had ordered it not be tested in stormy seas.
Poor reporting? A cover up by the Captain and/or Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie? A mutiny at sea?
Meatball: That's crazy; we can't be... we are about to run over our own tow line! What are they doin' up there?
Link, source? With writing this turbid, it's not surprising things like that were overlooked.
Ever done ops with the Frog Navy?
They're funny.
Why is the first thing I thought of after reading the headline for this, is the video of The Village People singing "In The Navy"?
The Village People and the French "Navy" just seem to go together. Well, them and Inspector Clouseau.
Well, not now, no.
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