CatastrophicFailure

Seriously, this is making me a bit nervous...

[manic uncontrolled twitching and slight smoke from ears]

[frustrated conniptions]

According to SpaceFlightNow, there’s been no confirmation of anything today. I’d say it’s still pretty up in the air. Er, metaphorically, That is.

Out of likes already. Also @tater, @sevenperforce, et al: The other problem with ejection seats is that if there’s more than four people flying (and there usually were), the rest are down on the middeck, sandwiched between the flightdeck and many metric craptonnes of fuel. There’s simply no way to get them out of all that structure reliably. Making the whole crew module separate and rocket away was possible, maybe, but you’ve got a lot of hoses, lines, and electrical cables that you’ve got to sever all at once, and it’s got to happen right the first time. And the rest of the orbiter needs to be strong enough to not immediately collapse as you’re trying to get away. Heres one concept for a crew escape pod in the cargo bay: You can see how much space it takes up, I don’t even want to think about how heavy it is. And assuming the docking port is at the top there, you’ve now got two missiles aimed directly at the ISS once docked. How they’d get it through the cargo bay doors, I don’t know. Presumably the flight crew would have had something like these from the B-58 Hustler: So y’all can see the ridiculous measures needed to try and make a crew “safe” on the side of a rocket. You miss the point, my friend. It’s a thing very similar in design to a space station, doesn’t look that different, planned to be built without a shuttle. This needs to be the official term from now on. I was one of those kids who thought NASA could do anything, and then the Challenger blew up in the middle of class. Ever seen a teacher scared before? I mean actually terrified, rushing to turn the TV off? That leaves a mark. @mikegarrison learn me something, here, how does a rubber O-ring stop hot exhaust gasses otherwise able to cut through metal struts in the first place?

Because.... wait for it... ...reasons!

Which is also exactly what they're planning to do with the Deep Space Gateway and snicker SLS launches beyond EM-1.

To address your question in a bit more depth, this is all very hard to do. They couldn’t separate the boosters or the orbiter from the tank early, there was simply no procedure (“button”) to do so, the entire launch was controlled by the computer. There was no procedure, because the assembly couldn’t survive it. Like someone else said, everything was under an incredible amount of stress while the engines were running. Ever forget to check yo staging and have your running boosters come back and hit your core? The orbiter too was extremely fragile, which seems like an odd thing to say, but most of the shuttle’s abort modes, such as they were, were limited by not overstressing the airframe. The RTLS (return to launch site) abort in particular was like something right out of Kerbal. If the shuttle lost one or more engines while the boosters were lit, it would have to continue downrange until the boosters were dropped, then continue downrange some more, then turn around, flying backwards, and burn towards Florida. This was catefully planned so that when the orbiter finally separated from the ET, the tank was down to 2% fuel. Any more and a successful separation was unlikely. If the shuttle lost all three engines while the boosters were running, it might be able to continue on until separation, but would be Lost anyway as the airframe couldn’t take reentry from that. Now, in theory, they could have made a big, ejecting crew module, but this is really, really hard when there’s so much structure surrounding the cabin. There was a proposal to put the crew in basically a big space capsule in the cargo bay, or some such, but would have been so heavy and complicated it was deemed “not worth it.” As it turns out, aborting from the side of a rocket in General is really really hard. Here’s part of the problem. Having that great big commsat in the cargo bay severely limits what station science you can do. It’s a huge compromise, either for the sat or the science. Now if we’d just have launched that second Skylab...

Let’s not forget all those early flights that just launched commsats...

Thanks, I always wondered this. What about with big silly boosters strapped to the sides?

Not sure what you’re trying to say here? The crew module of the shuttle wasn’t anywhere near the failed seal, either. The jet from the seal cut through an SRB strut, the SRB shifted and hit the ET, and the whole mess crumbled. It didn’t explode, it broke up, mostly from aerodynamic, forces. We know the crew compartment of the shuttle did survive the breakup. A space capsule likely would too, as they’re built incredibly strong (see: Dragon in failed CRS launch again). But Anyway, my friend, you seem to be missing the point that they knew Challenger was failing for a good long time, more than enough to activate an abort system had one been present, but the inherent design prevented this. Um... whether SLS will ever fly isn’t the point, the point is, that if it did suffer the same failure as Challenger, the crew would most likely abort and survive...

...”everywhere...”

Other guys beat me to my own point. Yes, if SLS were to suffer the exact same failure as Challenger, the crew would likely survive. Even if the abort motor didn’t fire (and in the case of Challenger they knew for a while there was a problem, the plume from the booster was visible for nearly 20 seconds), the capsule would most likely survive much as the Dragon capsule survived the initial breakup of that CRS flight. Putting a crew on the side of the rocket where they cannot abort (and their heat shield is completely unprotected) was the critical safety design flaw of the shuttle.

Beat me to it. I’m out of likes for the day already, too. But... maybe, under the circumstance, “Zombie” isn’t the best choice for a memorial...

Because as long as the SRB’s are burning, all they can do if something fails is hold on & pray. Y’know, like Challenger... I wasn’t comparing Soyuz & SpaceX, I was comparing abort modes for Soyuz and the shuttle. A Soyuz-style abort tower with capsule on top of the stack would have saved the Challenger crew. Like SLS. Which could conceivably fail in exactly the same way as Challenger.

Double double dittos. Also, @KSK et al, IIRC one of the items planned for Block 5 are new helium tanks...

IIRC, the shuttle only did this once. The capability was mostly there so the Air Force could “borrow” Soviet satellites for a looksee. The one time this really would have been awesome, returning the Hubble to put in the Smithsonian, and the shuttles are already de-funded and retired.

Yeah, it's almost like I meant to do that... And before I forget any further, another special thanks to @Ten Key & @KSK for polishing this one up (and keeping Burdous and his tentacles in check. Mostly. ) First thing that came to mind!!! And speaking of things I meant to do... Credit to anyone who gets the reference. It is, most certainly, deliberate. ETA: Oh, cool. New page and first chapter of 2018. Only another year or three to go...

Soyuz had two LOCV events... during development (Challenger and Columbia were both “operational” flights), and the Soviets learned from the mistakes and rectified the flaws. Soyuz also demonstrated the critical importance of launch abort capability, with two crews saved (one on the pad and one at high altitude, IIRC the latter outside the shuttle’s survivable abort window). There’s calculated risk and unreasonable risk. Zero abort capability in the first two-ish minutes of flight and dicey prospects after till you’re nearly in orbit anyway, that is unreasonable.

The One Who Goes Before shall be rejected, And cast into the sea. Yet the powerful will bow down to the throne, And before it, they will cast their golden crowns. Chapter 15: Acts of Contrition “Mister Edgas? Are you all right? You look rather... ill...” For the umpteenth time this morning, Edgas rubbed at his eyes and dragged them into focus out of sheer will, “didn’t sleep well. Bad dreams.” For... just a moment, there was the slightest little tick of... And then it was gone. She crossed her arms with a huff, “you are not still sleeping in chair outside infirmary, are you?” He tried to laugh, but it came out more of a grunt, “no. Honestly, I think I slept better then.” For a moment longer she glared at him, then her face softened, “you should... maybe take day off. You really do not look well.” “I’ll be fine,” he waved it away, “just need some coffee.” Yes, nice crunchy coffee. Maybe he should just skip the pretext of water altogether, though. Edgas absently wondered if there was any yogurt in the galley. But, he stifled another yawn, no time for that, either, “are you sure you want to be here for this? It’s cold in there...” “Bah,” now she waved him off, “I want to meet this specialist of yours.” “As you wish,” though it came out more like ‘wash’ as another yawn tried to sneak out while his mouth wasn’t looking. He gestured down the hall, and followed. Beyond the window, the twilight seemed just a bit less purple, the swirling snow less angry. Edgas would have to check the latest wind report, but perhaps the storm was easing. He wasn’t sure if that relieved or terrified him. Sure, it would make some things easier, but the others... He brushed the thought away. She was looking a bit more spry, too. Not leaning so much on the cane as she walked, but it did seem to help her balance. Perhaps if— He noticed her glaring again. “Were you just looking at my—?” “No! Nononono!” Edgas threw his hands up, “I-I-I was just... well that is... hey! You’re getting around much better today! Um... little more spring in your step, be ready to run a marathon soon at this rate! Please don’t hurt me.” She looked at him. He looked at her. “I was going to say ‘cane,’” the slightest little twitch of the corners of her mouth, then she turned and clopped on. Edgas raised a hand to his face. He thought she might be giggling. Or perhaps choking. He followed once more, keeping his eyes on the ceiling. It was quite dirty. He should really get on that. Doc was waiting at the hatch to the hangar bay, with an uneasy smile. That evaporated as soon as they approached. “Whoah. Boss. You look like crap.” Edgas rolled his eyes, “Doc, never let it be said that you’re a kerb to mince words. I’m fine, didn’t sleep well.” “Yeah, but... your face is all red...” Beside him, she began coughing. He eyed the two of them, “what?” “Nevermind,” Edgas shook his head, “is the, um, package en route?” Doc leaned in, cupping a hand to his mouth and looking about suspiciously, “the chair is against the wall. The horn blows at midnight. The chicken is in the bread pan.” Edgas blinked at him, “what?” “I’m just not cut out for this cloak-&-dagger stuff,” Doc sighed, “there’s an inbound radar contact on bravo array about to turn on final, profile matches a four-engine transport plane. No radio contact, no transponder beacon. “Oh, and there’s fresh chicken bread in the galley.” “Good, I— wait, what? Chicken bread?” “We’re staring to run low on fresh food, and of course no one wants to dig into the stores, so Cookie’s having to get... creative with what’s left,” Doc shrugged, “it’s actually pretty good.” Edgas opened his mouth. Edgas closed his mouth. “Also, here are the morning science reports for your approval,” Doc proffered a tablet. Edgas glanced over it, “sustained winds are down by 10m/s, gusts even more. That’s good.” “Storm might be starting to blow itself out,” Doc nodded, “also, check page three. I think the seismic arrays might need calibrating.” “Huh?” Edgas tapped at the glass, “yeah, that can’t be right.” “That part of Kleptogart has never seen an earthquake, especially one that big. Must be something off with the hardware, but I can’t verify with other sources till the storm clears.” “Has to be an error. Take Poindexter out to check them as soon as the weather allows.” “Gotcha,” Doc let out a long sigh, “ugh, I hope it’s not whumpers using the boxes for toilets again.” Edgas winced, “ok I did not need that mental image back in my head, thanks.” “Some things just can’t be unseen,” Doc grinned, “so... you sure you want to take this arrival alone?” “Yeah, not quite sure how this is gonna go. Better keep everyone scarce for a little while.” Doc gave a beleaguered shake of his head as he took the tablet back, “whatever you say, Boss.” He nodded to her, “ma’am,” then headed off down the corridor. She raised an eye... bulge, “what was that all about?” “It’s... complicated,” Edgas sighed. “Am I... becoming a problem?” “Of course not! It’s just... well, things went on the same way around here for years, and change... disruption... some people just find it stressful.” He reached for the hatch, “are you sure you don’t want a parka or anything?” She shook her head quickly, pulling on the drawstrings of her hood. For... just a moment, before the sweatshirt’s hood hid them, he could have sworn he saw red flash on her cheeks. Edgas shrugged and pulled the hatch open. The hangar was, of course, cold. But the reverent stillness was broken by the growing drone of approaching turboprop engines. “Is that an... air lock?” she seemed to test the words as she spoke them, pointing to what looked like a small room built into the corner. “Good eye,” Edgas nodded, “slightly overkill but it came with the structure. Plus, it keeps us from having to open the main doors in bad weather like this.” Even as he spoke, the drone outside grew louder and louder until it was a great, rumbling shriek. The walls themselves began to rattle and groan, the ice particles floating in the air to dance. Then... just as quickly as it rose, the sound flared for a moment before rapidly fading. Stillness returned to the hangar, the only sound now the distant howling of the wind. Yet it only lasted a few moments. One by one, the lights on the airlock began to blink on and off in sequence. There was an empty rushing, and the doors slid open spilling out fog and snow. For... just a moment, Edgas was certain he could hear the bassy opening notes of an imperious march, and then... Kawwwwwwwwww... pahhhhhhh... Kawwwwwwwwww... pahhhhhhh... Kawwwwwwwwww... pahhhhhhh... A towering, dark figure materialized out of the roiling cloud, its breathing labored and mechanical. It wore a cloak, black as night, over a suit of steel and plastic that seemed to draw in and capture the very light of the dim space. On its head, a great helm that glinted in the darkness covered a mask with huge, condemning eyes and a perpetual scowl. Kawwwwwwwwww... pahhhhhhh... Kawwwwwwwwww... pahhhhhhh... Kawwwwwwwwww... pahhhhhhh... Edgas’s nervous smile faded as the figure stalked up to him in a stiff, almost robotic gait. Its synthesized voice rumbled with an incredibly, almost impossibly deep tone. Kawwwww... “do you have any idea... how cold it is out there?” Pahhhhhh... Edgas glanced at the display on the wall, “forty below.” He offered another nervous smile. “Forty.” Kawwwww... “Below.” Pahhhhh... He thought for a moment, “seventy, with the windchill?” “Seventy.” Kawwwww... Pahhhhhh... The dark figure raised an open hand as if to choke him, and for just a moment, Edgas could swear he felt his throat clench. “If you were any other kerb,” kaww... pah... “I would kill you where you stand.” Edgas stood... just a bit farther back. The menacing newcomer didn’t seem to notice, instead looking up at something... far away, stretching its upraised hand out as if seeing it all over again. “I was on a beach in Ponpín,” kawwww... “flawless black sand, crystal turquoise water as far as the eye could see,” pahhhhh.... It then stared at both hands, its face somehow drawn with regret despite the mask. “I had a drink in one hand...” kawwww... “a barmaid in the other...” pahhhhh... “it was... paradise.” It thrust a gloved finger in Edgas’s face, “this... had better... be worth it.” Kawww... pahhhh... The figure stepped back, reaching for its helm. Latches released with a hiss of escaping air. It raised the helm up, then with a clatter of clicks and clunks, the suit seemed to fold in upon itself, peeling back to reveal... someone very different. He stepped down out of it, offering a hand, “its good to see you again, Edgas,” the handshake quickly became a hug with lots of back-slapping, “but wow, you look like crap.” “You haven’t changed a bit, Burdous,” Edgas grinned, “how long has it been?” “Too long,” Burdous Kerman grinned back. “So, um...” Edgas pointed at the empty suit that now seemed to be standing there all on its own, pulling its own head off, “what’s with that?” “Prototype environmental exposure suit for the next Laythe polar expedition. Radiation-proof, thermally isolated, and servomechanically-enhanced strength and agility. Figured this would be a great place to give it a dry run.” He beamed like a proud father. “Ah hah,” Edgas grunted, “but you were careful, right?” “Of course! Don’t forget who you’re talking to, I know how to cover my tracks. Brilliant electromagnetic sleight of hand, by the way, hiding our signal in that old cubesat relay. Almost didn’t detect it,” he winked, “almost.” “Um... what about the flight crew?” Edgas waved a hand in the vague direction the transport plane had departed in. “What crew? It was a drone, I hacked the controls.” Edgas looked at him flatly, “you mean you stole it.” “I did not steal it!” Burdous threw his arms up, “I leased it. Without the owner’s knowledge. Or, well, consent.” Edgas’s hand rose to his face, “Burdous...” “Hey, it’ll show up tomorrow at an airfield in Sysaria with the flight data recorders wiped and scrambled, and an anonymous deposit will suddenly appear in the owner’s bank account covering wear and tear, fuel... and what I pilfered from the glove box,” he crossed his arms with a defensive air, “besides, it’s not like I can just fly coach up here, y’know?” “I suppose you’re right,” Edgas sighed. “So,” Burdous glanced past him, “who’s the babe? I thought they didn’t allow chicks up here.” Edgas could practically feel her bristle, “may I hurt him? I want to hurt him...” “Oooh, she’s feisty, I like her! Dig the accent, too,” Burdous leaned past Edgas and did that... thing with his eye... bulges, taking on a smoldery smirk, “Hi.” “Burdous, no,” Edgas huffed. The other kerb looked at him, then at her, then at him again, “wait, are you two, like...” “NNOO!!” “Oh, cool,” Burdous returned to smoldering at her, “how you doin?” Edgas’s face found his palm again. “May I please hurt him?” she grunted. Burdous’s smolder flickered, “wait... do I know you?” “Burdous...” Edgas turned the other kerb till they were facing each other. Well, here goes nothing... “that’s Valentina Kermanova.” In a flash, the smolder flicked out. His face pinched with confusion, wave after wave of conflicting emotions seeming to break against it as on rocks in a storm. His lower lip began to quiver. And then, it all went purple. “NOT! COOL!” Burdous roared, thrusting a trembling finger in Edgas’s face, “you think that’s funny, huh?! That your idea of a joke?!” “Burdous,” Edgas’s hands went up, “just calm down, let me—“ “That ain’t funny, kerb! That is so not funny!” He continued to rant and scream, storm around in a circle, “I can’t believe I came all this way for this!” “...If you’ll just lis—“ “What the hells, kerb?! I mean, this is low, this is really low!” Edgas fought to bite back his own frustration, “Burdous, just look, it’s her.” Seeming to catch the cue, she pulled the hood back, fully exposing her face for the first time. Burdous stopped in mid storm. For just an instant, conflict spread across his face. But it was, sadly, just for an instant. “Oh that’s great, that’s just flarping great!” he raged ten times louder, “what’d you do, go down to the local outpost lockup and bail out some poor beat-up street urchin as a look-alike?! You got the hair totally wrong, by the way!” “It’s her,” Edgas said through clenched teeth, “just let me—“ In a flash, Burdous seized him by his collar, almost knocking him down, eyes burning with rage... and something else. “VALENTINA KERMANOVA IS DEAD!” he roared, “SHE IS DEAD!” he shoved Edgas back, tears streaming down his cheeks as his voice softened, “I should know, I was at her funeral.” “Burdous,” Edgas laid a hand on his trembling shoulder, “she’s alive. She fell out of the sky in that” he pointed to the debris pile off in the corner, “we were hoping maybe you could tells us—“ “Oh, in this? Really, in this?” the tempest flared brighter than ever, Burdous stalked over to the pile, “oh, right here! This is the answer right here!” he waved around a piece of debris, “it’s junk!” he threw it clanging off across the floor, “garbage!” he kicked something else, “trash!” another bit went flying, “I’m such an idiot, how’d I fall for this?” clank-bang-crunch, “of all the stupid— wham! Selfish— crash! Thoughtless— bam! Low down, dirty, son of a—“ He froze, a smashed metallic box with two broken lights held over his head. All the anger, the pain, seemed to drain from his features like the receding tide. He brought the box down, staring at it with wide eyes. He turned it this way, that, rubbed the wires jutting from one end between his finger. It can’t be, his lips silently mimed. He looked up to Edgas, looked over to her, dropped the box and grabbed something else. Again he turned it, rubbed it, held it up to the light. “It... can’t be...” Burdous went from piece to piece, sorting through the pile with growing fervor... this one... then that one... then back to this again... until finally he slid down and collapsed into a heap next to it. “Burdous!” Edgas cried out. He couldn’t tell if the other was laughing or crying. “I should have known!” his shoulders quaked in an unsteady syncopated rhythm, “I shoulda checked for a carrier beacon, pinged the low gain through the DSN, something!” His eyes squeezed shut as his head thunked back against a bit of junk. “B... Burdous...?” Burdous looked over at him, thumping a fist against his own chest, “I should have known! I... I didn’t know, how could I have known? I should have known...” “C’mon,” Edgas offered a hand, “let me explain and—“ “It all makes perfect sense, now!” suddenly he jumped up and ran at her with open arms, “Val!” “No, Burdous, wait—!” The cane came up. Whoosh! Crunch! Thud! "Ow." Edgas winced. “Oh yeah, that’s her. Without a doubt.” Burdous proclaimed to the floor... slightly more soprano than usual... “oh, my spoon...” “Are... you all right?” “Awww,” he groaned, “she bent my spoon...” Edgas rolled his eyes, “are you still carrying that old thing around?” Burdous brandished a spoon at him that was, indeed, quite bent, “hey, you never know when I might need to stab someone with this!” He hopped back up again, good as new, grinning from ear to ear, “Val!” “Next time I hit you harder,” she stepped back, brandishing the cane at him. The grin faltered, “Val? It... it’s me...” She stepped back again. His face fell, “it... it’s me, it’s Burdous! It’s B! I’m... I’m your buddy, I’m your pal, I’m your homeboy! You... you gave me the shirt—” he shot a death glare at Edgas, “the one he ruined.” She raised the cane at him. “...don’t you recognize me?” “She doesn’t,” Edgas stepped between them, keeping his voice calm and even, “Burdous... she’s lost her memory. This is how we found her. I was hoping maybe you could make some sense of all this and tell us why.” “Um... yeah, um...” Burdous ran a hand through sodden hair, turning in a vague circle, “yeah. Ok. That makes sense, that’s one of the things they were worried about, but the tests showed improvement, I thought, I mean... that’s why the prototype went ahead, but... but they were never supposed to try a full... but...” Edgas laid a hand on his shoulder again, “look, why don’t you take a few minutes to collect your thoughts, hm? Let’s all go down to the galley, sit down, have some coffee and talk this out, ok?” “Yeah... talk... yeah, that sounds good,” then his eyes popped open wide before narrowing down to slits, “but I’m making the coffee!” —————————– “Ten seconds, Mr. President... roll-in playing... good. And we’re live in five... four... three...” “Good evening, my fellow Kleptogartis. This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from this office, where so many decisions have been made that shaped the history of this Republic. The events that have transpired these last few weeks will, no doubt, be remembered as such that have shaped not only our own history but the very course of Kerbal events. The last few days, especially, have been a time of division and anger here in our great Republic. This Administration was elected on a promise of transparency, and with that promise in mind, as one of my predecessors so famously said, the buck stops here. “These are the facts as they stand, as of this livestream. Several weeks ago, a single individual contracted a previously unencountered pathogen through a still unknown vector. In seeking medical attention, the pathogen was spread to several others at the local health clinic. The illness was contained, for a time, at the County General Hospital, at which point research into a treatment began. It was here that the unprecedented virulence of the pathogen was finally grasped, that it could be spread person to person from the slightest physical contact, with the newly infected victim succumbing to dementia and incapacitation within only moments. Due to an error in containment protocols at the hospital, the pathogen escaped quarantine, and the infection began to spread into the city at large. “At this point, upon my orders, a plan was put into action that had been crafted some time ago by Doctor Heywood Kerman. A former Army Colonel, infectious disease specialist at the Kleptogarti Center for Disease Control, and epidemiologist with the biomedical division of the Layland-Wutani Corporation, Dr. Kerman had spent his entire career analyzing the spread of disease and designing a multi-tiered response that could halt even the threat of a global pandemic, an extinction-level event. It was his determination early on that the F9H1 pathogen represented just such a threat, but due to a chain of events that this Administration now takes full responsibility for, his plan was not implemented until far later than it should have been. Possibly as a result of this delayed response, the infection escaped the initial quarantine zone, and threatened to break out beyond any hope of containment. “With the global threat potential of this contagion now clear, it is at this time that I authorized the deployment of a 100 megaton nuclear weapon. “The resulting blast sterilized the area within 50 kilometers, neutralizing the toxin and eliminating the threat to our people and the world. Initial reports from the red zone confirm that no trace of the F9H1 pathogen has survived, but we must continue to remain vigilant. As such, I have ordered the evacuation and indefinite quarantine of all territory north of the 9th Parallel and east of the Kohio River. “We have been granted a reprieve, but as we all know, it has not come without great loss. These are the facts, as of this stream: 173,000 souls were known to be in the immediate vicinity of the blast, and are presumed deceased. 31,612 have succumbed to injuries sustained, or are otherwise confirmed dead. Seventeen thousand, two hundred and thirty are currently listed as injured, and are receiving treatment at facilities across the region. These numbers are not yet complete, and are expected to rise as new information continues to filter in. And... this does not include the dozens killed, and hundreds injured in the waves of demonstrations that have already threatened to tear our great Republic apart. “I wish to set the record straight on one matter in particular, one that has given much of the fuel to these disastrous gatherings. Throughout this difficult time, such as they have been made aware, our neighbors and friends, the United Federal People’s Democratic Kingdom of Omork, and the Commonwealth of Nefcarkaland, have stood by us with unwavering support. There is absolutely no truth to the rumors that either nation was considering preemptive military action. The decisions that were made that have brought us to this crossroad remain mine, and mine alone. “My friends, we as a nation and people are indeed at a crossroad, yet there is only one way that leads forward. The road ahead will be long and arduous, and it is a journey we cannot endure as a house divided. Centuries ago, our forefathers pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. This is a pledge I now ask each of you to renew, for we must all lean on one another if we are to weather what is to come. But first, we must have healing. We must mend the rifts that have threatened to drive us apart in this, our time of tribulation. Another of my predecessors once wisely counseled, ‘ask what you can do for your country.’ This is a question I have asked myself every morning since before my political career began. “With that in mind, my own path down this road is clear. It is with a heavy, yet hopeful heart, that I announce that I shall resign the office of President of the Republic of Kleptogart, effective at noon tomorrow. At that time, Vice President Kerman will take the oath of office on board the Executive Transport in Bhangkong, where he has been attending a trade summit in my stead. “It is my sincere hope that this action shall be the catalyst that will begin the process of healing and reconciliation in this, our great Republic. It is my sincere hope, that we can move forward together, as one people, and one nation, together with our friends beyond our borders, so that no one else in this world shall again have to suffer what we have suffered these past weeks. It is my sincere hope, with the threat to that world’s very existence now quelled, that everyone within the sound of my voice may sleep soundly tonight, knowing that the situation is, at last, under control.”

A long time ago, in galaxy far, far away... ...that's no moon, it's a... dwarf planet. Inhabited entirely by pirates. Really, really awful pirates. Possibly the worst pirates I've ever heard of. Sigh. That was... anticlimactic. Well, at least they've gotten it out of their systems. One thing's for sure, after nearly two years marooned on Rald, it's finally... ...time to go home.

Sigh. Well I'm all out of likes yet again, so here's Steve Buscemi riding a nuclear weapon:

Did it really, tho? If the money had instead been used to refine and improve Apollo/Saturn hardware, we could have done even more. I’ve found the best course of action with this movie is to kick one’s disbelief squarely in the fork then lock it in the closet for a couple of hours, and smile at the pretty pictures. Oooohhh... Aaaahhhh...

Since we still have so little info on the final design, I'm going to hope that either SpaceX has some kind of contingency planned they haven't told us about yet, or they won't even think of putting people on board until the system has dozens of flights under its belt. Slightly easier if it's rapidly reusable. When an astronaut, who's sort of an expert in physics, calls it an "unnatural act of physics," something's not right. Sorry, I get worked up over this. Have been ever since I learned the Challenger crew was most likely alive and possibly even conscious... right up until they hit the water. Quite so. Turns out it's far easier to have another rocket so you can GTFO that way, too...

This this this and so much this! This wasn't the Voskhod or even Gemini era when mankind was still learning how to space and one-up each other and needed to take unnecessary risks. The shuttle had zero contingencies while the SRB's were running. "They" knew for dozens of seconds that Challenger was in trouble and nothing could be done, and don't even get me started on the tree of fail that was Columbia. The day may come when it's a sensible decision to put people on top of a rocket and just trust it to work, but that day was not 40-some years ago! The shuttle was an inherent deathtrap due to its design, and no amount of refining could have changed that. That's why launch abort systems were invented! /rantoff