NASA need 1960's saturns to inspire them..

Anyhow back on topic. Anyone notice how the Ares is much smaller than the Saturn? To me, it *appears* to be even simpler in design. Perhaps the design is just more streamlined.

Coincidently I was looking at these pics just now. Perhaps they're suitable for this discussion.



www.cosmographica.com...

The problem with pepsi was a misundestanding/miscommunication one. He admited that the satellite was moving in orbit but he said that the satellite wasn't moving relative to the Earth. Wich in fact is true since it's in a stationary orbit. And we all tried to make him understand that the satellite is moving around the Earth because we all thought of Earth as a planet, regardless of its rotation around its axis. But if you consider also the rotation of the Earth then the relative speed of the satellite to an Earth surface feature will be zero, thus the satellite will not go around our planet he said.
Very complicated.

Now that we cleared that up lets get back to the topic.
Why would be a bad ideea for NASA to inspire from 40 years old technology?
1)Why would a space capsule based design be a bad ideea?
2)Why would NASA want to make more than one landing per mission (to hop around)? And related to this: 3)Why would be bad for the astronauts to sleep on the moon?
4)Why the need for a mission to the far side?

About this last one I have a few thoughts. A mission to the far side of the moon will have a great psycological impact and a single mission will be by far more advertised tham possibly several missions on the near side.
But for a mission to the far side you'll need some telecom relay satellite(s) (it's far cheaper than to put some relay antennae on the far side). If you put two satellites in the lagrangean points of the moon's orbit you won't be able to cover the entire far side (the farthest point from Earth on the moon will be out of sight). If you use instead a higher orbit than the moon's orbit (idea discussed also for the apollo 17 mission), lets say with a period of about 56 days (twice as long as our moon's) you'll get two launch windows with a several day gap between them (when the moon passes infront of the satellite blocking the link) every two months.

Originally posted by AnAbsoluteCreation
Coincidently I was looking at these pics just now. Perhaps they're suitable for this discussion.

The mercury flyby and the one of Pluto is amazing.

I saw this CD cover earlier, thought it was very atmospheric.
img182.imageshack.us...

Here is one I threw together a few months back.
img148.imageshack.us...

We should create a space art thread in B TS.

Originally posted by SteveR
Anyone notice how the Ares is much smaller than the Saturn?

The Ares V is a little shorter...but it is wider.

I really like how Nasa split up the people and the cargo...A good call in terms of safty.

This just in..

"China expects to launch its first lunar probe next year, state media has said. It will spend a year orbiting the moon to collect images and data on the moon's surface and environment."

edition.cnn.com...

Associated thread.. www.abovetopsecret.com...

So a probe orbitting the moon for a year! I guess that will please me and Pepsi and answers the oribt questions

[edit on 26/8/06 by SteveR]

Japan this time.

www.jaxa.jp...

Also new Mercury and Venus orbitters..

www.jaxa.jp...

And also India will have a lunar probe:

ESA is now collaborating with India to fly an upgraded version on the Indian lunar probe Chandrayaan, due for launch in 2007–2008. It will map the chemistry of the lunar surface, including the other landing sites from where samples have been brought back to Earth
from ESA

since for some reason your all posting moon probe launches...Nasa will launch there in late 08'.

Theres is a little different then everyone elses...they will have an Orbiter (which is called LRO (Lunar Reconniassance Orbiter)), but it will also be carring a impactor. Which will sperate from the orbiter, and will smack into the moon, while the orbiter will see it all go down. It will be much in the same way of how it happened with the Deep Impact mission.

I think it'd be dumb for them not to look at the Saturn V design when creating a new rocket with similar requirements...why reinvent the wheel?

The sad thing is NASA has to go to museums to learn about their own old technology...didn't anyone think of keeping at least one blueprint around?

[edit on 8/26/2006 by djohnsto77]

Nice pic, thanks Murcie.



lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov...

Very nice website.

[edit on 26/8/06 by SteveR]

That Ares image is out of date...

LOL.

Capitalism in space makes me shudder.

Capitalist Piiiiiigs Iiiiiiiin Spaaaaace!

NASAs gotta get money somehow! The gov sure ain't forkin' it over!

(I'm so getting sued.)

Originally posted by apc
That Ares image is out of date...

But seriously... I wonder why isn't the private sector investing in independent space probes? Wouldn't it be nice to hear of a sample return mission to Mars funded by, lets say, Bill Gates (just a name)?

Oh they will.. Give it a few years for commercialization to really get into full swing. Then you'll see a Pepsi logo projected onto the Moon.

Originally posted by apc
Oh they will.. Give it a few years for commercialization to really get into full swing. Then you'll see a Pepsi logo projected onto the Moon.

It was a joke here on Romania some 15, 20 years ago....
Bush recieves a call in his oval office: Mr President...we have a very big problem....
Bush: I'm the strongest man in the world, I can solve any problem!
Well...mr Bush...the soviets are painting the Moon red!
Bush: Oh...let me think a little about that
After 15 minutes the tlephone rings again
Mr. President, the soviets just finished painting the Moon in red.
Bush: Ah, ok! Send a teem there to write Coca Cola's logo

bwahahaha.

The next decade should be pretty interesting. The governments are looking at the Moon, Mars, etc... leaving quite a big gap to be filled in our own orbital neighborhood. The ISS will hopefully be used somehow to assist in the governmental work, but will have to steer clear of the occasional hotel (wouldn't a motel be awesome? ) and corporate research lab.

I dont think it will be until well after NASA and the Russians (or the Chinese... grumble...) have established operations on the Moon that we will start seeing Lunar commerce. And even then, the first enterprise will probably be a hotel. Maybe an amusement park next to it.

But it will be the private sector that develops these big fancy Lunar transport vehicles, from the need to carry many passengers. And with that need will be the need to keep them comfortable and cozy. The first space cruise ships. Complete with swimming pools and Tom Jones impersonators.

Originally posted by djohnsto77
The sad thing is NASA has to go to museums to learn about their own old technology...didn't anyone think of keeping at least one blueprint around?

The blueprints are on microfilm at the Marshall Space Flight Center. I don't know if they are looking at them or not, but maybe looking at the real thing is better.

It would be better to just design something new.