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davieG

Technology, Science and the Environment.

By davieG, in General Chat

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Nothing's that surprising in this article other than the extent to which mankind can know about something important and then do f*** all about it until its repercussions are doing massive societal damage.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jul/05/sixty-years-of-climate-change-warnings-the-signs-that-were-missed-and-ignored

 

 

8 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

 

Human potential and capability summed up in two posts.

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SpacedX

SpacedX

Posted
Posted (edited)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57790040

 

As much as I support the essential role of private enterprise in space exploration, I really dislike this notion of "space tourism" associated with the Virgin Galactic project which is a misnomer in itself. Branson is set to ride his own 'Unity' - a sub orbital vehicle - to an altitude of 90km (55 miles, or 295,000ft), which is little more than a parabolic arc which may eventually in future flights nudge the Kármán line. This was being done back in the 1950s by pilots of the X-15 at great personal risk and danger. All five Air Force pilots flew above 50 miles and were awarded military astronaut wings (although three were NASA employees and did not receive a comparable decoration at the time). In 1963, Joe Walker achieved an altitude of 107.8 km 67 miles (353,760ft).

 

Bezos's Blue Origin venture 'New Shephard' (after Alan Shephard the first American in space aboard Mercury), will cross the Kármán line which is internationally recognised as 100km. For Branson, the US 'definition' of the boundary of space is 80km but Blue Origin are way behind Virgin Galactic. 

 

These "pleasure rides" are fraught with danger and according to the article, Branson has 600 deposits for the £180,000 ticket. Nonetheless, if money were no object, would I do it? Of course I ****ing would. 

 

EDIT TO ADD: Just announced that today's flight of Unity has been delayed and rescheduled due to bad weather. 

Edited by Line-X
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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, Line-X said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57790040

 

As much as I support the essential role of private enterprise in space exploration, I really dislike this notion of "space tourism" associated with the Virgin Galactic project which is a misnomer in itself. Branson is set to ride his own 'Unity' - a sub orbital vehicle - to an altitude of 90km (55 miles, or 295,000ft), which is little more than a parabolic arc which may eventually in future flights nudge the Kármán line. This was being done back in the 1950s by pilots of the X-15 at great personal risk and danger. All five Air Force pilots flew above 50 miles and were awarded military astronaut wings (although three were NASA employees and did not receive a comparable decoration at the time). In 1963, Joe Walker achieved an altitude of 107.8 km 67 miles (353,760ft).

 

Bezos's Blue Origin venture 'New Shephard' (after Alan Shephard the first American in space aboard Mercury), will cross the Kármán line which is internationally recognised as 100km. For Branson, the US 'definition' of the boundary of space is 80km but Blue Origin are way behind Virgin Galactic. 

 

These "pleasure rides" are fraught with danger and according to the article, Branson has 600 deposits for the £180,000 ticket. Nonetheless, if money were no object, would I do it? Of course I ****ing would. 

 

EDIT TO ADD: Just announced that today's flight of Unity has been delayed and rescheduled due to bad weather. 

Mission successful!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57797297

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SpacedX

SpacedX

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Blue Origin flight was an impressive watch.  Wow.

First dildo launched into space. 

 

Wait, that was Branson last week - (even though he never crossed the Kármán line). 

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tom27111

tom27111

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Blue Origin flight was an impressive watch.  Wow.

FFS, that's why my Virgin Galactic stock is down 5% lol

 

I didn't see the Brandon or Bezos flights, were they streamed online only, or shown across news channels?

 

I still remember the Felix Baumgartner leap that was shown live in all the news networks, amazing.

 

Would be disappointing if these latest things aren't live on TV for everyone to see.

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SpacedX

SpacedX

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57849364

 

On the above.

 

I know there are hang-ups about the providence of this mission, but for me more space programs no matter their providence is better than less.

I'd rather see the money spent on actual space exploration as opposed to the folly of glorified human cannonballs brushing the fringes of it. 

 

Did enjoy today's Alan Shepard reference/quote at launch though. 

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Line-X said:

I'd rather see the money spent on actual space exploration as opposed to the folly of glorified human cannonballs brushing the fringes of it. 

 

Did enjoy today's Alan Shepard reference/quote at launch though. 

I would too, but as there seems to be precious little in the public purse for that at the present time (gods I wish that was different), these guys playing catch-up is what is happening. Hopefully it'll lead somewhere good.

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WigstonWanderer

WigstonWanderer

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57849364

 

On the above.

 

I know there are hang-ups about the providence of this mission, but for me more space programs no matter their providence is better than less.

Not sure I’m with you on this one. As impressive as the technology is, a bunch of over pampered, narcissistic billionaires polluting the environment even more for kicks doesn’t do anything for me I’m afraid.

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Not sure I’m with you on this one. As impressive as the technology is, a bunch of over pampered, narcissistic billionaires polluting the environment even more for kicks doesn’t do anything for me I’m afraid.

I hear that, believe me, and if governmental agencies were moving forward with more alacrity than I'd agree more myself.

 

But the way I see it is every single spaceflight mission - manned or otherwise - tells us something new that might help us progress on that front. And that's bloody important, because if we don't get out there soon enough, something will happen here - with or without human help and no matter how well we "take care" of this planet - which will make sure we never will. We can and should be fixing what we're doing to the Earth as well as doing stuff like this but there is no "fixing" the end of the current interglacial period or Yellowstone deciding to go for it, for instance.

 

I can understand the antipathy and I'd rather spaceflight be under the aegis of governments exclusively, but unfortunately the past few decades have been very slow on that score and so it is better more spaceflight programs no matter their providence than less, IMO. Civilisational survival, in whatever form, depends on it.
 
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