NASA is borrowing ideas from the Apollo

Yahoo News (via AP) ^ | 1422 14 Aug 06 | JAY REEVES

[raygun]

These guys were suprised at the cramp quarters of the lunar lander? I couldn't imagine being cooped up in that sardine can of the command module for six stinkin' days with two other guys.

[raygun]

ping

[markman46]

i guess it was roomy enough for a few astro to get spece sick!!!

[martin_fierro]

i so silly.

[Thrusher]

IB4MHN!

[RightWhale]

Some make it sound like they are putting a fresh coat of paint on old Apollo hardware and charging $20 billion.

[Gator101]

NASA is borrowing ideas from the Apollo

That's who I would have borrowed from as well. Starbuck may have been the better viper pilot but he was too much of a loose cannon.

[tdewey10]

Sure he was a loose cannon - but who'd you want watching your back when the Cylons came looking? That's right. The buckster.

[Jake The Goose]

Here is one of my problems with NASA:

"what they hell are they doing up there on the space station?"

- Has anyone seen a press release or a news report that says, "hey gee - look at what NASA is doing on the Space Station" ????

All that money - and I cannot find a single person who can tell me what NASA is doing up there - OF VALUE thank you very much.

[orionblamblam]

> cannot find a single person who can tell me what NASA is doing up there

Fulfilling Clinton-era State Department goals. When it ceased to be "Space Station Freedom," it ceased ot be about science. NASA got saddled nto with the space station program they wanted, but the one that the State Department wanted.

Imagine if the US Army was told to expend one half of their budget for the next two decades on building boomers and aircraft carriers.

[Gator101]

That's true. Apollo did leave his own brother behind in a disabled viper to be killed by the Cylons...I change my answer!

[RightWhale]

The next flight, in a couple weeks, will resume construction of the ISS. The ISS is not complete at this point. This mission will add a huge solar power array, the first of four huge solar power arrays. With the solar power arrays the ISS will have sufficient power to begin actual science work.

[Yo-Yo]

Have you ever seen a Mercury capsule? Have you ever seen a Gemini capsule? Even the Apollo capsule is very cramped. Definitely not for the claustrophobic.

By comparison the Lunar Lander was very roomy. The Space Shuttle is absolutely enormous.

[RightWhale]

They had a height limitation. They could not fit somebody taller than about 5' 8" into the Mercury. The Gemini was elbow to elbow. Apollo had a little more room, but there were three couches and the ceiling was so close you could reach everything without stretching.

[AbeKrieger]

Imagine the concept, actually mounting the flight vehicle ABOVE the fuel tanks, making it nearly impossible for foam, or chunks, or launch debris to damage the passenger compartment.

Remembering, of course, that space flight is a risky venture in itself and many more people will die trying to accomplish the dream... we will reach beyond this planet.

[raygun]

They're going to be able to double the power generating capacity which currently is 270 Kw. I use about 500 KwH per month in my apartment. That runs my fridge, A/C, lights, PC, stereo, TV, bread machine, coffee grinder, microwave, cordless phone, electric shaver, and charges my portable tire pump & 1,000,000 candlepower flashlight.

[RightWhale]

Right. Seems like a lot of power, but they still have to be stingy about allocation. Still, they can fire up some of the more interesting experiments if they get this array installed.

[gridlock]

As an old engineer, this story does my heart good. I have had about enough of these know-nothing modern engineers who have not a clue about anything unless their computer tells them the answer.

[Dead Dog]

It provided life support for our manned space program while it atrophied for 35 years.

[Jake The Goose]

Ok - well said - good observation...