First I want to say that I'm a huge fan of the US Space Program, and I've been known to get choked up watching a launch or the little rovers bleeping and roving their way around distant planets.
But we need a radical redesign of our reusable space vehicle, damn. The Shuttle just isn't hardy enough. It's technology from the 1970's! Are we still driving AMC Pacers to work? No? Why? Oh, that's right, because it's the 21st Century!
The Shuttle is so very fragile, I wouldn't trust a 10 million dollar communications satellite inside it, let alone human lives. The Shuttle is covered in heat-resistant tiles that you can poke through with your finger. And if one of them fails, you can lose your whole team.
Who thought this was a good idea? Somewhere, a room full of engineers approved this design. Because it's Light. Weight is very expensive to lift, so everything needs to be as light as possible.
The weight concern is aggravated by the fact that the Shuttle does a vertical take off. That's the most wasteful type of thrust. Here's a better solution - Fly like a plane to the upper limits of the atmosphere, and then use your rockets briefly to push you into orbit. I want a space vehicle that I can take a hammer to and not worry. "Look! I'm banging, and there's no dent!" That's a frikkin Space Ship.
Another weakness - the Shuttle only has thrust on takeoff. On its return, it 'glides' in a barely controlled fall. Shuttle pilots have called the returning Shuttle "a flying brick". The Shuttle should have thrust control during landing - the current design leaves no room for error.
The Shuttle Astronauts are strapped into chairs during lift off, inside the Shuttle. Wouldn't it make more sense for the Astronauts to be in an escape vehicle outside the Shuttle? Then if something catastrophic occurs (and it will, from time to time), they can jettison the escape pod and have some shred of hope. The escape pod would be used on takeoff as well as landing.
As the Gemini Astronauts did, the current generation of Astronauts need to start making demands. The Gemini engineers weren't going to put a window in the capsule, since it wasn't necessary. How are you going to pilot something with no windows, in the 1960's? The Gemini Astronauts got their window.
Really, as Space Age as we like to think of ourselves, space is still a very dangerous place, and our technology is not yet reliable enough. We need to stop sending people into space until we can provide better designs and many more safeguards. Remote controlled and autonomous robots can do most of the work we need done in space.
What NASA needs to do is call Burt Rutan, and beg him for help. Burt is The Man!
But we need a radical redesign of our reusable space vehicle, damn. The Shuttle just isn't hardy enough. It's technology from the 1970's! Are we still driving AMC Pacers to work? No? Why? Oh, that's right, because it's the 21st Century!
The Shuttle is so very fragile, I wouldn't trust a 10 million dollar communications satellite inside it, let alone human lives. The Shuttle is covered in heat-resistant tiles that you can poke through with your finger. And if one of them fails, you can lose your whole team.
Who thought this was a good idea? Somewhere, a room full of engineers approved this design. Because it's Light. Weight is very expensive to lift, so everything needs to be as light as possible.
The weight concern is aggravated by the fact that the Shuttle does a vertical take off. That's the most wasteful type of thrust. Here's a better solution - Fly like a plane to the upper limits of the atmosphere, and then use your rockets briefly to push you into orbit. I want a space vehicle that I can take a hammer to and not worry. "Look! I'm banging, and there's no dent!" That's a frikkin Space Ship.
Another weakness - the Shuttle only has thrust on takeoff. On its return, it 'glides' in a barely controlled fall. Shuttle pilots have called the returning Shuttle "a flying brick". The Shuttle should have thrust control during landing - the current design leaves no room for error.
The Shuttle Astronauts are strapped into chairs during lift off, inside the Shuttle. Wouldn't it make more sense for the Astronauts to be in an escape vehicle outside the Shuttle? Then if something catastrophic occurs (and it will, from time to time), they can jettison the escape pod and have some shred of hope. The escape pod would be used on takeoff as well as landing.
As the Gemini Astronauts did, the current generation of Astronauts need to start making demands. The Gemini engineers weren't going to put a window in the capsule, since it wasn't necessary. How are you going to pilot something with no windows, in the 1960's? The Gemini Astronauts got their window.
Really, as Space Age as we like to think of ourselves, space is still a very dangerous place, and our technology is not yet reliable enough. We need to stop sending people into space until we can provide better designs and many more safeguards. Remote controlled and autonomous robots can do most of the work we need done in space.
What NASA needs to do is call Burt Rutan, and beg him for help. Burt is The Man!
I want to be Burt when I grow up. I'll start working on my mutton chops now.
BURT!
ReplyDeleteI shall call you Burt from now on. Well, when I remember.
They're actually planning on retiring the shuttle next year.
ReplyDeleteAs for the current problems with the shuttle, it's safety versus cost. That's the major problem, yes we probably could have a perfectly safe space vehicle, but they'd never accept it when they can build 5 shuttles for the same cost.
As for Burt, I watched the documentary about his team winning the X prize. The impression I got from him was that he was far more concerned with winning that his pilots safety.
He was jumping up and down when the craft successfully reached space for the third time...everyone else only joined in when it was back safely on the ground.
True, but if the Shuttles didn't cost 600 million each, take six months to prep after each launch, they wouldn't need five of them.
ReplyDeleteThey're only now planning to retire them - I'd be surprised to see a new reusable launch vehicle before 2010. Hell, molre likely 2015.
As for Burt, if I'd designed a space ship, and it made it to space, I'd hooting and jumping too.
Don't get me wrong, I admire the guy a hell of a lot. Privately building a craft that can get into space is a wonderous achievement.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if it was one of your friends in the thing...wouldn't you celebrate once he touched down, rather than when he got up there?
Bear in mind, it had reached space twice already...and had some pretty bad problems both times
Yeha & I hope/pray they come home safe, Burt or no Burt.
ReplyDeletebtw--have you been following HeroZero? He's such a cool guy w/such neat puzzles . . . ;-)
HeroZero? Never heard of it... Details?
ReplyDeleteoh come on, HZ--I know it's you.
ReplyDeleteas many personalities that you have bottled up inside?
ReplyDeleteunless . . . it's my cambridge friend . . . you two are alot alike!
ReplyDeleteI am not anyone named HeroZero - do we have a link?
ReplyDelete