Debate : 24467


Off-Topic / Debate / 24467	24466 \| 24468

Subject:	Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?
Newsgroups:	lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date:	Tue, 22 Jun 2004 17:27:13 GMT
Viewed:	757 times

In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks wrote: > Rutan says he's going for orbit once this step is perfected. With a completely new design, or with a modified version of this one? At the very least he'd need to add manouvering thrusters to make reentry possible. > I don't think that a ten year timeline for that is at all aggressive > considering what the last ten years have provided. Ten years to achieve what, exactly? Low orbit? High orbit? Moon-landings? Privately owned Space Shuttle equivalent? It took NASA less than 8 years to go from breaching the 50-mile barrier to putting a man on the moon. > Well, I hope you're a really old man, or just wrong. Since my parents haven't retired yet, I doubt I qualify as "old". Only time will tell on the other point. If Rutan can put a man on the moon in 5 years, or achieve the heavy lift capability of the Space Shuttle in 12 years, I'll believe that privatized spaceflight can completely supplant NASA. > I'd love to see NASA become a superfluous organ of the state. I wouldn't. It's hard to feel patriotic about commercial ventures. NASA could certainly stand a bit of real competition to keep them striding forward (the Russians haven't really been up to the task for a long time), but I'd hope that there are still a lot of great things that can be accomplished by a nation rather than just a bunch of shareholders. Of course, I'm the sort of person for whom basketball season comes once every four years, so maybe it's just me...

Message has 3 Replies:

		Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?
(...) I'm reading between the lines, but I think only a little: new design, high orbit Yes, but let's imagine that Rutan can do it for $60M. What did NASA spend? (Of course, they were pioneering the technology!) (...) What if it's double those times (...) (20 years ago, 23-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Only nations can generate patriotic pride (Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?)
(...) An interesting idea - a distinction that had never really occurred to me before. To me the government is just an expression Australian-ness, not at all unlike an Australian company is another expression, as are our (non-governmental) sporting (...) (20 years ago, 23-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

		Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?
(...) Manoeuvring thrusters are the least of his worries; he shall need a 6-7 fold increases in velocity... and then he'll have to think about re-entry. Scott A (20 years ago, 23-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:

		Re: Some good news for a change, maybe?
(...) Rutan says he's going for orbit once this step is perfected. I don't think that a ten year timeline for that is at all aggressive considering what the last ten years have provided. (...) Yeah, those will be better. And then there are better (...) (20 years ago, 22-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, lugnet.off-topic.fun)

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