NASA Building Giant Roller Coaster For Science 85
Jamie found a story of NASAs Giant "Science" Roller Coaster. It will be used as an escape chute on rocket launchpads, and will be the 3rd highest drop in the world. More like the Cedar Point Demon Drop than a roller coaster, but still, I'd ride it.
Chute, not shoot (Score:2, Insightful)
Pedant Warning (Score:2, Insightful)
I think the word you're groping for there is 'chute'. ^_^
Re:Is this really good for anything? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Pennies on your knees (Score:3, Insightful)
And if CmdrTaco happens to read this.. I think we need a
Re:Is this really good for anything? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Escape shoot? (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Is this really good for anything? (Score:3, Insightful)
The rocket concept is really a return to the right direction after the long lived and oversold space shuttle side mounted launch vehicle. The Russians have long had rocket powered escape systems on their launch vehicles (the system has saved lives on at least one occasion: Soyuz T-10-1 [wikipedia.org]), a system that was deemed too complex and expensive for the shuttle due to the side mounted launch position and the need for an independent escape capsule, because the rocket already contains a capsule-like vehicle oriented in a vertical position with a clear shot up and away.
If we have to return to manned space flight then the rocket concept is definitely the way to go. Personally however, I think that a return to a manned program at this time is largely a waste of taxpayer money (although not entirely since some concepts will still have to be tested from time to time) that could be better spent on advanced probes, propulsion research, artificial gravity, long term self sustained life support systems (which will be needed both for permanent off world bases and long duration space journeys), and compact fusion power generators. In fact the manned program should really not take priority again until we have developed all of those technologies to the point of high reliability AND have at least a working understanding of an interstellar drive system (probably not in my lifetime). The problem with spaceflight is that people want immediate results when in fact it will probably take several more centuries or even millennia, assuming that we do not blow ourselves up in the meantime, to really start moving people off this planet and on to other destinations in the Solar System and beyond. The question is this: do we as a species have the maturity to set and reach such long term goals? The answer, at least for now, is a resounding "no"...hence the long expected time frames.