benzman

It has always struck me as odd that Gagarin's flight should have been an orbital flight. To make a first attempt at putting a man in space by orbiting him seems to me to be unnecessarily ambitious and risky. Is there any evidence that the Russians flew or attempted sub-orbital flights before Gagarin, as the Americans did with Alan Sheppard and Gus Grissom?

Download link not working?

Rescue missions. Nothing is more satisfying than planning a rescue, executing it and bringing everyone back home alive.

I have just had Gerkin Kerman appear. Somehow, it seems an appropriate name for a Kerbal!

The 777 picture reminds me of a snippet that en ex-airline pilot friend of mine sent me yesterday: Boeing 777 OVERWATER ENGINE FAILURE Suggested sequence of events 1. Crew maintains control of A/C. 2. Crew handles QRC immediate action items correctly. 3. Crew agrees upon enroute diversion alternate (SATCOM- DSP) 4. PF begins off-track maneuver. HDG SEL 90 from track in direction of alternate 5. Crew turns on all external lights. 6. PF begins drift down. Call for MCP alt set to VNAV ENG OUT cruise alt. EO speed or 320/.83 whichever is most reasonable considering terrain. 7. PF ensures MCT, monitors A/C performance, PNF handles comm. 8. PNF declares emergency with mayday on guard, common and/or HF as appropriate 9. PNF gives position, Flight ID, Track, Longitude/Latitude and altitude with all calls. 10. PNF requests clearance to enroute alternate with GP facility or guard relay. 11. Crew recalls pilots on break to cockpit via PA. 12. PNF records FMC position in scratch pad to be entered on plotting chart and to be forwarded to dispatch via MFD "MAYDAY" report or SATCOM link. 13. PNF completes checklist reference items. 14. PNF builds offset 25NM Pacific/30NM Atlantic (Offset execute or LNAV armed optional HDGSEL may be required if ETOPS alternate behind) Cross tracks below FL 290 Pacific/FL285 Atlantic. 15. PNF copies clearance to alternate. 16. Crew proceeds to alternate at 325kts /mach .83 when able at SE altitude. 17. PNF communicates with DD, FA's, SAMC and Pax as required. 18. Crew initiates preparation for ditching and/or evacuation if necessary. 19. Crew prepares estimates for FIRs or diversion airport. 20. Crew plots FMC position every 15 minutes on plotting chart on line drawn from initial diversion point to alternate. 21. Crew reviews ditching procedures if necessary. 22. Crew requests RCC information via DD if necessary. 23. Crew briefs approach, evacuation potential, runway exit plan and crew member assignments as necessary. Boeing 747 OVERWATER ENGINE FAILURE Suggested sequence of events 1. Select failed engine fuel control switch to OFF 2. Continue to destination for normal approach and landing 3. Call for a fresh cup of coffee.

The A team do all the test flights and get first try at new, dangerous missions. First landings are usually Jeb and Bill, with Bob keeping the return ship in good order. After that, one of them will fly missions with one or two of the new guys, just to keep an eye on how they do. Buzz gets to do any mission with a lot of rendezvous and docking!

I have owned a four and a half inch reflector for many years. The trouble with ALL telescopes is that they show you just enough to make you wish you had bought a bigger one! My advice is to buy the biggest and best telescope that you can afford.

Mike Collins was the best author of the early astronauts. Read his book 'Carrying the Fire'.

I sometimes wish that I could live another thousand years, so that I could see the incredible things that we will achieve, and at other times I feel that we will never get much further than we are now until we evolve past the pathetically idiotic, childish fascination with war and weapons that is currently blighting all our hopes for the future. But never mind me. I am just a Grumpy Old Man who has just downed two strong vodka, mint julep and soda water cocktails.

You MIGHT be getting the problem I had that is described and answered on page 2 of this post.

Not knowing who JJ Abrams was until I Googled him I had nothing to compare. So I thought your video was pretty darned good!

He died in 2030?

My most humbling moments occur when I scan the forums and see the incredibly complex craft that some people make. I almost burst into tears at my own inadequacy.

I did read once that the major error in 2001 is when the passenger in the Pan Am shuttle is drinking from a straw. When he takes his mouth away the drink falls back down the straw, which wouldn't happen in microgravity.

Just as a point of interest, the second symbol, a conjoined P and L, was chosen to honour Percival Lowell.

Don't worry about lack of time or inspiration. As far as I am concerned, the mod as it is now is just brilliant and if you add nothing more to it then it won't bother me.

It's even more disconcerting when you see your ship and the shadow actually coincide!

I once saw a pick-up and on the tailgate an obviously professional signwriter had written 'your being passed by a Ford'.

To keep with the OP's question, and if I remember some of the details of the one-day Aviation Medicine lecture that I attended some thirty years ago, Earth's atmosphere contains 21% oxygen and the rest inert gasses. This means that if you climbed to an altitude corresponding to 21% sea level pressure, about 38,000 feet, breathing pure oxygen would give you the same mass (not volume) of oxygen as if you were breathing normal air at sea level. Above that the reduced oxygen pressure would require you to have a restraining garment to stop your chest expanding and the oxygen would need to be blown into you under some pressure from a tightly sealed face mask. Pressure breathing requires quite a bit of practice in a high altitude chamber as it is an abnormal way to breath. At about 60,000 feet you get into the blood-boiling area and need a full pressure suit. But yes, all other things being equal regarding temperature, radiation, etc. it should be possible to walk on Duna's surface with just an O2 tank. On the lower parts of the terrain anyhow.

If you do a Google image search for 'steampunk space station' you may find something.

To be read as if you were hearing it spoken by the late Peter Jones.

SAS is intended to keep you ship in the same orientation. I find that if I want to rotate a large, heavy, wobbly object like a space station then the best thing to do is to turn off the SAS and give a quick puff of RCS to start the craft slowly turning. When the ship has turned to where you want it another quick puff of RCS to stop it, then engage the SAS. Saves on electricity and RCS fuel.

Four! Three! Two! One! Oh poo.

I got James a couple of days ago. I refer to him as James T. Kerman.

I keep imagining a space station made of wood and cast iron, equipped with one of Mr Babbage's difference engines, and the crew dressed in frock coats and stovepipe hats!