What do you know about NASA? - Page 2

mikedelaney16 · 09-11-2007, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shorty943

I stepped off world, so to speak, for a day or so. Any news on Steve Fossett?

None as of yet. It's not looking hopeful.

shorty943 · 09-11-2007, 11:36 AM

Bugger. Where the hell did he end up. The man has been out over the edge in so many ways, but seems to have lost it on a simple short hop of a flight. American FCC might take a leaf from the Aussie book in that respect. Not one aircraft leaves the ground here without first filing a flight plan. A half hour hop, from Adelaide to Murray Bridge, for instance is not flown without a flight plan. Commercial is all planned well in advance of course, but private flying, you go outside your local airport control, you file a flight plan. That simple, that safe.

Greg · 09-11-2007, 01:10 PM

It's the same here. You're not supposed to take off without a flight plan unless you're just going to be shooting touch-and-go's in the local pattern.

shorty943 · 09-12-2007, 03:27 PM

Yep, even at the local club field, we don't do so much as an engine ground test, with out clearance from control. That still doesn't stop the occasional close call.
Then of course, no-one can foresee catastrophic parts failure.

Greg · 09-12-2007, 05:53 PM

Oh. No, American airports aren't quite that... erm... motherly. On a controlled field you don't taxi beyond your local apron without instructions from ground control. On an uncontrolled field, you just announce your intentions. You can file a flight plan en route in either case.

shorty943 · 09-15-2007, 04:41 AM

Big country, small population. It is very easy to get lost here.
Only 7 cities, spread over a land mass, nearly 2,000 by 2,000 miles, 20,000,000 people. Long ways between drinks, and few folks around. Let people know where you're going, just in case. Boats, planes, trucks, automobiles, we tell people where we are going. Especially if you're doing it overland.

Greg · 09-16-2007, 08:50 PM

I can imagine! In my household any time we leave the house we always make sure someone knows where we're going, how we plan to get there, and when we expect to return. That way someone always knows when it's time to send out the Mounties and where to tell them to look.

mikedelaney16 · 09-17-2007, 08:50 AM

Heh! I tried imposing that rule on my daughters, it backfired.

shorty943 · 09-17-2007, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikedelaney16

Heh! I tried imposing that rule on my daughters, it backfired.

I'd say

bad advice

tried to

daughters.

Can't type now

Greg · 09-17-2007, 12:18 PM

I think the only solution for teenage daughters is to implant a chip.

shorty943 · 09-17-2007, 12:42 PM

Like the bad dog stay home chip?

One step out of bounds and kazap.

Yep, I like it.

Zirconia Wolf · 10-20-2007, 03:45 PM

As to the query: What Do You Know About NASA?, I must confess very little! I mean, I know they do "space stuff", but....?

Actually I do know one other thing about NASA; one of the NASA web pages was just featured as a Daily Sucker over on the Web Pages That Suck site. (I love the Web Pages That Suck site! It gives me hope that my future site can't be all that bad!)

Here's the link to the NASA page in question (you'll need Flash & should not be an epileptic) http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/...ash/sts108.swf

Here's the link to the WPTS site, just 'cause I think it's fun...if that's the right term! http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/

mikedelaney16 · 10-24-2007, 03:06 AM

If NASA want people to know more, they might consider running NASA TV on some Ku band sats. NASA TV presently only offers C band satellite transmissions. Suburbanites like me don't usually have the required land area for the 2 meter dishes C band tends to call for. NASA TV is not available in Europe except via internet, but I suppose that's understandable given their public funding.

One Free-To-Air channel on one of the Astra 2 birds (28.2E) or Eurobird 1 (28.5E) would cover the whole of Europe and keep me happy too. Maybe they could encourage ESA and RSA (Roscosmos? RSC Energia?) to do likewise. (ESA seems to have discontinued their TV service, no big surprise).

Greg · 10-24-2007, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zirconia Wolf

As to the query: What Do You Know About NASA?, I must confess very little! I mean, I know they do "space stuff", but....?

Actually I do know one other thing about NASA; one of the NASA web pages was just featured as a Daily Sucker over on the Web Pages That Suck site. (I love the Web Pages That Suck site! It gives me hope that my future site can't be all that bad!)

Here's the link to the NASA page in question (you'll need Flash & should not be an epileptic) http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/...ash/sts108.swf

Here's the link to the WPTS site, just 'cause I think it's fun...if that's the right term! http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/

Oh my goodness! That web page does suck!

I wonder what the heck they could have been thinking?

Greg · 10-24-2007, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikedelaney16

If NASA want people to know more, they might consider running NASA TV on some Ku band sats. NASA TV presently only offers C band satellite transmissions. Suburbanites like me don't usually have the required land area for the 2 meter dishes C band tends to call for. NASA TV is not available in Europe except via internet, but I suppose that's understandable given their public funding.

One Free-To-Air channel on one of the Astra 2 birds (28.2E) or Eurobird 1 (28.5E) would cover the whole of Europe and keep me happy too. Maybe they could encourage ESA and RSA (Roscosmos? RSC Energia?) to do likewise. (ESA seems to have discontinued their TV service, no big surprise).

You could try sending a note to the NASA Public Affairs Office to suggest it!

I get NASA TV via Dish Network. As far as I know, they are the only public carrier that has it.

mikedelaney16 · 10-24-2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg

You could try sending a note to the NASA Public Affairs Office to suggest it!

I get NASA TV via Dish Network. As far as I know, they are the only public carrier that has it.

It seems NASA TV used to be carried on Ku band sat Europe and was discontinued about 2 years ago.

AMC 6 @ 72W seems to be the most easterly satellite that carries NASA TV, that's way below my usable horizon, plus the footprint doesn't extend far enough east. Also, I only have an 80cm dish.

With the Chinese launching their lunar probe today and the seemingly renewed cold-war mentality in Russia, it might not be long before the propagandists make sure NASA TV is a "must carry" all over the EU.

The Chinese (English language) coverage from CCTV-9 was quite interesting this morning. A lot more open than I expected.

Greg · 10-24-2007, 05:06 PM

Eeek! I was unaware that Russia was thinking Cold War thoughts again.

I was also unaware that the Chinese were launching a moon probe today!

mikedelaney16 · 10-24-2007, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg

Eeek! I was unaware that Russia was thinking Cold War thoughts again.

I was also unaware that the Chinese were launching a moon probe today!

Yes, the Russians have reactivated their bomber fleets and long distance Atlantic patrol flights. One of their pilots recently made the comment "I don't think the RAF should really complain, at least now they have something to actually do!"

The Chinese were throwing the phrase space-exploration around a lot today. They successfully delivered Chang'e 1 to orbit top of a Long March 3A launcher. It seems to have been a text book launch, they were all very excited. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches...ge_launch.html

I managed to catch the launch and orbital deployment live on TV this morning, purely by accident.

Greg · 10-26-2007, 01:15 AM

That is really exciting!

The Russian thing doesn't sound like they're trying to get the cold war going again, though. It does sound like their economy has recovered enough that they can once again train their military. I'm sure they're not worried about us, but they might be kind of nervous about their immediate neighbors.

mikedelaney16 · 10-27-2007, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg

The Russian thing doesn't sound like they're trying to get the cold war going again, though. It does sound like their economy has recovered enough that they can once again train their military. I'm sure they're not worried about us, but they might be kind of nervous about their immediate neighbors.

I think they just want us to think that they think that we want to get it going again. Perhaps Pres. Bush got through to them with his "you do the math" speech the other day.

09-11-2007, 01:10 PM	#23
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	It's the same here. You're not supposed to take off without a flight plan unless you're just going to be shooting touch-and-go's in the local pattern. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

09-12-2007, 05:53 PM	#25
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Oh. No, American airports aren't quite that... erm... motherly. On a controlled field you don't taxi beyond your local apron without instructions from ground control. On an uncontrolled field, you just announce your intentions. You can file a flight plan en route in either case. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

09-16-2007, 08:50 PM	#27
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	I can imagine! In my household any time we leave the house we always make sure someone knows where we're going, how we plan to get there, and when we expect to return. That way someone always knows when it's time to send out the Mounties and where to tell them to look. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

09-17-2007, 12:18 PM	#30
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	I think the only solution for teenage daughters is to implant a chip. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

10-20-2007, 03:45 PM	#32
Zirconia Wolf Reticulated MoonBat Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: My trusty computer in Issaquah WA, USA. Posts: 848	As to the query: What Do You Know About NASA?, I must confess very little! I mean, I know they do "space stuff", but....? Actually I do know one other thing about NASA; one of the NASA web pages was just featured as a Daily Sucker over on the Web Pages That Suck site. (I love the Web Pages That Suck site! It gives me hope that my future site can't be all that bad!) Here's the link to the NASA page in question (you'll need Flash & should not be an epileptic) http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/...ash/sts108.swf Here's the link to the WPTS site, just 'cause I think it's fun...if that's the right term! http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/ __________________ Long Live All Wild Canines! Leader Of The Moon-Bat Revolution!

09-11-2007, 11:36 AM	#22
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Bugger. Where the hell did he end up. The man has been out over the edge in so many ways, but seems to have lost it on a simple short hop of a flight. American FCC might take a leaf from the Aussie book in that respect. Not one aircraft leaves the ground here without first filing a flight plan. A half hour hop, from Adelaide to Murray Bridge, for instance is not flown without a flight plan. Commercial is all planned well in advance of course, but private flying, you go outside your local airport control, you file a flight plan. That simple, that safe.

09-12-2007, 03:27 PM	#24
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Yep, even at the local club field, we don't do so much as an engine ground test, with out clearance from control. That still doesn't stop the occasional close call. Then of course, no-one can foresee catastrophic parts failure.

09-15-2007, 04:41 AM	#26
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Big country, small population. It is very easy to get lost here. Only 7 cities, spread over a land mass, nearly 2,000 by 2,000 miles, 20,000,000 people. Long ways between drinks, and few folks around. Let people know where you're going, just in case. Boats, planes, trucks, automobiles, we tell people where we are going. Especially if you're doing it overland.

09-17-2007, 08:50 AM	#28
mikedelaney16 Solar Max Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 201	Heh! I tried imposing that rule on my daughters, it backfired.

09-17-2007, 12:42 PM	#31
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Like the bad dog stay home chip? One step out of bounds and kazap. Yep, I like it.

10-24-2007, 03:06 AM	#33
mikedelaney16 Solar Max Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 201	If NASA want people to know more, they might consider running NASA TV on some Ku band sats. NASA TV presently only offers C band satellite transmissions. Suburbanites like me don't usually have the required land area for the 2 meter dishes C band tends to call for. NASA TV is not available in Europe except via internet, but I suppose that's understandable given their public funding. One Free-To-Air channel on one of the Astra 2 birds (28.2E) or Eurobird 1 (28.5E) would cover the whole of Europe and keep me happy too. Maybe they could encourage ESA and RSA (Roscosmos? RSC Energia?) to do likewise. (ESA seems to have discontinued their TV service, no big surprise). Last edited by mikedelaney16 : 10-24-2007 at 03:20 AM.

10-24-2007, 05:06 PM	#37
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Eeek! I was unaware that Russia was thinking Cold War thoughts again. I was also unaware that the Chinese were launching a moon probe today! __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

10-26-2007, 01:15 AM	#39
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	That is really exciting! The Russian thing doesn't sound like they're trying to get the cold war going again, though. It does sound like their economy has recovered enough that they can once again train their military. I'm sure they're not worried about us, but they might be kind of nervous about their immediate neighbors. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?