Discovery orbiter

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Boroda
I imagine two Shuttles docked to ISS... Or they'll abandon Discovery? Is ISS life-support system capable of withstanding 9 people aboard? As a resupply ship - Progress is cheaper and brings more payload.

As I said above - it's all very sad.

Launching 3-4 Soyuz to rescue missions will probably mean that ISS will have to be conservated like Skylab

Why did they launch Discovery with a crew of 7 astronauts? Isn't the minimal crew only 2 people?

I think it was mentioned that if another shuttle had to go up to rescue the Discovery, they would attempt to see if repairs could be made that would allow the Discovery to return.  I don't recall seeing it mentioned what would happen to the Discovery if they failed and couldn't repair it.


ack-ack

[rpm]

Originally posted by Boroda
As a resupply ship - Progress is cheaper and brings more payload.

It may be cheaper, but it definitely does NOT bring more payload.

[Chairboy]

I think perhaps Boroda was confused and meant to say 'Proton' instead of 'Progress'.

[Manedew]

Originally posted by Hangtime
When it's time to retire them, boost the shuttles to high orbit and leave 'em with the space station. Handy-dandy mars or moon trans orbital exploration vehicles.

Hope they do somthing like that.... would be a waste to throw them in a Houston museum.   The only problem in function I see is tile damage- which is a reentry problem.......If they end up doing this in a few years they will defently need alot of modification for a moon mission etc.....

I think a null point space station would be a good idea as well.  A space station in the null of gravity between the earth and moon.

After that we should go grab a big rock from the belt and coax it into a high earth orbit.....hollow it  secure the outside airtight and balance.....set to uniform spin for 'gravity'

Make a bio-dome inside..... nuclear powered, and lighted.

Instant system cruiser! Hell... a thing like that might be able to make a run for Alpha Centari

and then.... like this guys says

"I don't think I'm alone when I say I'd like to see more and more planets fall under the ruthless domination of our solar system."

[LLv34 Jarsci]

I read somewhere , a year ago or so, that with the money pumped into Iraq war man could have flown to Mars 4 times... Think about how good shuttle you could have with that money..

No offense intended, but thinking that we use more money on destroying things and lives that building stuff ect.. we are srewed.

[Holden McGroin]

It has been thus throught history.  Ask Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great.

[Boroda]

Originally posted by rpm
It may be cheaper, but it definitely does NOT bring more payload.

It does bring more payload because it doesn't have a re-entry capsule and other equipment that's nessesary on Soyuz.

[Boroda]

Originally posted by Chairboy
I think perhaps Boroda was confused and meant to say 'Proton' instead of 'Progress'.

We had unmanned transport ships launched by Proton launch vehicle, Almaz, some of them even had a re-entry capsule that looked like Apollo conic command module but had a hatch in a bottom. Imagine a 20-ton cargo ship with a re-entry capsule capable to return several tons back to Earth...

I think Skylab was a great disappointment. 350 cubic meters compared to 80 at Salyut/Mir... 77 tons compared to 20+ IIRC (too lazy to check sources). A trouble at launch, a strange position for a second "emergency" docking unit, and a catastrophe in 1979... Couldn't Apollo ships lift it's orbit? Apollo command module has several times more power then Soyuz, and yet Soviet stations remained in orbit for decades, using Soyuz engines to change orbit. I wish there were some Saturn-V launchers availible still, a 100 ton main space station module could be a great improvement, Americans preparing a launch and Russians making all life support systems.

I'd prefer to see news from space rather then more reports from Iraq or Caucasus.

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by Boroda
I imagine two Shuttles docked to ISS... Or they'll abandon Discovery? Is ISS life-support system capable of withstanding 9 people aboard? As a resupply ship - Progress is cheaper and brings more payload.

Payload of Progress M: 2,350 kg,  Progress M1: 2,230-3,200 kg

Payload of Shuttle: 29,500 kg

[Boroda]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Payload of Progress M: 2,350 kg,  Progress M1: 2,230-3,200 kg

Payload of Shuttle: 29,500 kg

I meant that Progress brings more payload then Soyuz. Sometimes I post here severely drunk, sorry

"Capacity" of a life-support system is limited by many things, like oxygen prodiction unit power, CO2 adsorbers and the ventilation system productivity. And other stuff like humidity control, other gases (not only CO2 is dangerous), etc.

Bringing 30 tons of supplies and equipment may be not enough to solve a problem of sustaining life for 9 cosmonauts. And I think they didn't bring the full load - 30 tons is a limit to the lowest orbit and maybe with 2 pilots aboard. I may be mistaken.

Unfortunately we return to "romantic age" of Cosmonautics from comfortable "passenger flights"

[mietla]

Originally posted by LLv34 Jarsci
I read somewhere , a year ago or so, that with the money pumped into Iraq war man could have flown to Mars 4 times... Think about how good shuttle you could have with that money..

No offense intended, but thinking that we use more money on destroying things and lives that building stuff ect.. we are srewed.

Think about how much good could we do with the money pissed away every year on welfare and on goverment mandated crap.

[FalconSix]

See Rule #5

[Pooh21]

Originally posted by FalconSix
See Rule #5

And that needs to change.

[mietla]

Originally posted by FalconSix
See Rule #5

Surely you are jesting. It helps as much as forcing Indians into reservations and keeping them there uneducated and poor, but dependent on the government that "feeds" them.

Plantation approach.

[Gunslinger]

See Rule #6