NASA Tests Heaviest Chute Drop Ever 226
Iddo Genuth writes "NASA and the US Air Force have successfully tested a new super-chute system aimed at reclaiming reusable Ares booster rockets. On February 28, 2009 a 50,000-pound dummy rocket booster was dropped in the Arizona desert and slowed by a system of five parachutes before it crashed to the ground. The booster landed softly without any damage. This was possibly the heaviest parachute drop ever, and NASA is planning to perform even heavier drops of up to 90,000 pounds in the next few months."
Re:1 Question (Score:5, Funny)
When will America start using SI units as the standard?
In NASA's case, it would take something big to make them see sense. Like, say, loosing a major space probe.
Re:Cool - now how much ... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:1 Question (Score:5, Funny)
Here we have a situation where a single large country - with too much power and inertia in these matters - is pointedly ignoring what the rest of the world is doing, and forcing the use of an arcane, unwieldy, incompatible standard on the rest of us.
Thank goodness this sort of thing doesn't happen in the IT industry.
Re:Astroid Net? (Score:5, Funny)
Those asteroids are probably too infrequent to bother planning for.
That's it. You've just chosen our doom.
Thank you NASA! (Score:5, Funny)
"Pounds don't mean anything to me" (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, but when you use an alias like Karganeth you're Totally speaking a language I understand! Now I have to go dig my Orcone out of his storage pen and take him for a run in the dog park....
Re:1 Question (Score:2, Funny)
It's a shade over 6428 stone. If you have problems visualising that, imagine 918 weaklings or 357 burly rugby players. Which is 17 teams (with substitutes) composed entirely of loosehead props.
Better?
How many libraries of congress? (Score:5, Funny)
Seriously, this is a useless measurement, it's way over things I know about. I need it in something practical, like how many libraries of congress is it?
Re:1 Question (Score:5, Funny)
Metric, motherfucker, do you speak it?
Re:1 Question (Score:5, Funny)
Sheesh, you Esperanto guys just never give up ...
Re:Thank you NASA! (Score:5, Funny)
Heaviest chute drop? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Cool - now how much ... (Score:5, Funny)
Well over 350,000 pounds Boeing 767 [wikipedia.org] so don't get any ideas.
Planes would probably break up as well. Great that you attached to the mid section but you'll probably loose either the front 3rd or the rear as the thin cabin torsions apart.
If you could guarantee the front third would survive it would help sell business class tickets in these troubled times.
Re:1 Question (Score:5, Funny)
An American pint is actually a copy of a British pint in 1707. The British later changed over to Imperial in 1824.
We had a choice between Liberty and More Beer. I'm still not sure we chose wrong.
Re:1 Question (Score:5, Funny)
I believe the unit was standardised on the weight of Winston Churchill's right testicle.
Re:1 Question (Score:3, Funny)
- Known as a either a pot or a middy, depending on what state you're in, in all states of Australia except for SA
- SA calls this glass a Schooner
425ml Glass
- Called a Schooner everywhere except for SA
- Called a pint in SA, except for in Irish pubs
570ml Glass
- Called a pint everywhere in Australia, except for SA
- Called an Imperial Pint, or IP in SA, except in Irish pubs where it is just a Pint.
And there you have it.
Re:1 Question (Score:1, Funny)
You're right. We should take the example of, say, England, where I drive at the national speed limit of 60 mph, for 30 minutes, using two gallons of gas (sorry, petrol) that I bought, to take me to the pub, where I order a pint of beer, causing me to gain yet another half a stone in weight.
Oh, never mind.
Well, which is it, young feller? (Score:1, Funny)
Reminded me of this quote from Raising Arizona.
"Well, which is it, young feller? You want I should freeze or get down on the ground? Mean to say, if'n I freeze, I can't rightly drop. And if'n I drop, I'm a-gonna be in motion. You see... "
One of the rules (Score:3, Funny)
11. Everything is air-droppable at least once.
-Seven Rules of Highly Effective Pirates [wikipedia.org]
Re:Astroid Net? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Astroid Net? (Score:1, Funny)
this is why we need rocket motors on the moon to adjust the orbit and make it act as a shield.... movie rights on their way.
Re:Cool - now how much ... (Score:3, Funny)
"For $79 more we can try EXTRA-HARD not to kill you in-flight."
Thanks, I'll walk.