Armadillo Aero One Step Closer To Space 213
RobertB-DC writes "The folks at Armadillo Aerospace have taken another step toward the X-Prize, dropping their re-entry vehicle from 2000 feet with no major problems noted. As usual, the Armadillo crew documented the event with text, pictures and video, and the story is also covered by Space.com (though without as many cool technical details). It's a bumpy ride, though -- instruments recorded some 10 G's on touchdown."
What does 10G's have to with bumpiness? (Score:4, Interesting)
Something just occurred to me (Score:5, Interesting)
I suspect that the recent projects are to the government-sponsored space programs as open source software is to commercial software. True, the fundamental ideas
In an era when people are becoming more and more concerned with manned space flight, I think projects and contests like this are the only way possible to get humanity into the heavens. Governments will always be under pressure to reduce spending; it will only be with enthusiasts that we make it to our proper place in space.
(This isn't to say, of course, that a non-government-sponsored flight will be the first to Mars. This is simply to say that it will be the space enthusiasts who shed the light on the important facts about space and its wealth of knowledge.)
10 Gs (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:10 Gs? (Score:3, Interesting)
This is measured not as a sudden impact, but as a multiple of gravity. IE: when you're in a plane and they pull up sharp, you experience maybe 2x gravity.
Re:Something just occurred to me (Score:0, Interesting)
usbudget.historical.xls [gpo.gov]
The only years that government spending have gone down(adjusted for inflation) are 1945-48, 1953-56 and 1968-70.
The pressure they are under is not to reduce spending, it is who gets the handouts.
You're absolutely right. (Score:5, Interesting)
This guy has been engineering exceptional aircraft for years. Father of one of the most radical and popular homebuilt aircraft designs ever.
J.C. has an interesting background and obviously the mind of an engineer, but no one is going to catch up with Rutan's design which resembles the X-15 project of the 1960's.
If someone at Scaled Composites is reading... Can I have a job? Yeah, like that will happen...
Re:10 Gs (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:10 Gs (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I Smell A Rat (Score:1, Interesting)
OTOH, if they could manage ten G going upwards, all they have to do is maintain that for about thirteen minutes and they would be in orbit. But ten G for that long is rather demanding...
Late again (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:10 Gs? (Score:5, Interesting)
Wouldn't 10 g's on touchdown cause death by deceleration trauma?
Bah. During the cold war, the air force did studies using a rocket sled, led by Dr. John P. Stapp [af.mil] that showed that 10Gs is nowhere near fatal. From the page:
I suppose the "with adequate harness" part can't be stressed enough, but there's nothing automatically fatal about 10Gs.
Dr. Stapp sounds like a pretty unique guy, and his work led to more survivable crashes in both aircraft and automobiles. I'm giving you One last chance to click on his biography [af.mil], since I really want you to read it. :).
Re:10 Gs? (Score:3, Interesting)
Also, while controlled accel is not likely to be fatal, it *can* do some damage. I remember reading the story of one of the high-speed rocket-sled experiments, ca.1960 or perhaps a bit before. I can't recall who rode the thing (it wasn't Stapp, tho), but a side effect of the high G was bleeding inside his eyes, so his vision was slightly pinked ever after.
Jerk (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Jerk (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Something just occurred to me (Score:2, Interesting)
The V2 was not done by private enterprise. Or Saturn V. Sorry to bust your ultra-liberal bubble.
FWIW I agree with you that for space to be explored properly it must ultimately be done by private enterprise. Competition and diversity are key. The launch market should be liberalized and regulations for space launches should be relaxed.
PS: Giving food for people who do not work is good for everyone unlike what you think. It may not be 100% fair for those who work but it is a compromise. If food was more scarce this would be an issue. Food is abundant in our present Western societies. The fact is people are paid not to produce and food is sent to the trash. Giving some away to improve social stability is good policy.
Re:10 Gs? (Score:4, Interesting)
They can go a fair bit higher than that. I saw a show on Discovery Wings not long ago that said Deke Slayton used to pull 9 Gs without a G-suit. (The "without a G-suit" part is a bit extreme, but the "9 Gs" part is kinda on the edge where some people will black out and some won't.) You might want to have a look at this page [nasa.gov].
Soyuz = up to 8.1G (Score:4, Interesting)
With shock absorbing crash couches and a reclined position, higher vales should be possible. The issue is failed parachute depolyment. Single parachutes may deploy incorrectly or not at all increasing the G load. Normally a cluster of parachutes are used hence the margin needed for error. Without access to the web site, I can't see how many chutes were being used.
Re:10 Gs? (Score:3, Interesting)
I only flew with a G suit once, and it was before I went to flight training (I was a back-seat passenger). We pulled 7 Gs on the sortie. The suit squeezed my legs hard enough that it felt like I would have bruises. I didn't black out.
It does not seem unreasonable at all to me that some trained pilots could pull 9 Gs without a suit.