• The International Space Station turns 15 years old!
    41 replies, posted
[img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2668640/iss.PNG[/img] [quote]The International Space Station celebrates its birthday today, 15 years after the first module was launched in 1998.The Space Station is the largest cooperative project ever carried out in science, involving NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, the Canadian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. On 20 November 1998 a Russian Proton rocket lifted off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan carrying Zarya, the Station’s first component. Three weeks later, on 4 December, the Space Shuttle delivered Unity, the Station’s second module, which was attached to Zarya on 6 December.[/quote] [url]http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/International_Space_Station/Happy_birthday_Space_Station[/url] Random facts being dropped by the space agencies here: [url]https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ISS15&src=typd[/url] [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2668640/span.PNG[/img] The International Space Station is such an amazing construction, and we have learned so much from it. Will be sad to see it go when it's lifetime comes to an end around 2020, but it has to go sometime.
I bet they have old copies of WON Half-Life lying around there
Its a shame there's no way of getting the ISS down safely. It's make an amazing museum display, hell it could be a wing in a museum.
[QUOTE=Janus Vesta;42923351]Its a shame there's no way of getting the ISS down safely. It's make an amazing museum display, hell it could be a wing in a museum.[/QUOTE] The only option is to boost it into a way higher orbit and open up a space museum.
I bet SomethingAwful is saving up for a rocket just so they can camp it.
240ft, I thought despite NASA being american they work with the metric system. Although of course it's for their american audience so nvm.
i thought the syndicate blew it up
-snip-
[QUOTE=SwizzChees;42923393]240ft, I thought despite NASA being american they work with the metric system. Although of course it's for their american audience so nvm.[/QUOTE] As far as I know, they also still use it for engineering. The results can be seen here: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter[/url]
[QUOTE=SwizzChees;42923393]240ft, I thought despite NASA being american they work with the metric system. Although of course it's for their american audience so nvm.[/QUOTE] they measure acceleration in feet per second squared and it makes me want to cry
[QUOTE=DrDevil;42923485]As far as I know, they also still use it for engineering. The results can be seen here: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter[/url][/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure this was caused by Lockheed using imperial units, not NASA. It's what I've heard before and also what this 1999 CNN article says: [url]http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/[/url] Nevertheless it shows that it's incredibly important to be consistent about this stuff, and NASA should have double checked and triple checked it. I'm pretty sure NASA has been almost exclusively using metric for the past few years at least.
[img]http://www.giraffeboards.com/images/smilies/emot-toot.gif[/img] Thanks for the many years of service. Truly a great collaborative effort.
[QUOTE=LarparNar;42923650]I'm pretty sure this was caused by Lockheed using imperial units, not NASA. It's what I've heard before and also what this 1999 CNN article says: [url]http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/[/url] Nevertheless it shows that it's incredibly important to be consistent about this stuff, and NASA should have double checked and triple checked it. I'm pretty sure NASA has been almost exclusively using metric for the past few years at least.[/QUOTE] I work with a few guys in the Aerospace industry in North America, and they tend to use both Imperial and Metric...Metric for calculations and simulations in conceptual design, then over to Imperial when they're doing manufacturable design; mostly due to the fact that almost all the parts they need are readily available in Imperial units.
It kind of sucks being raised on imperial. I'm trying to get a feel for mass in kilos and velocities in kph or m/s, but I just can't do it. If I want to really picture something I have to convert it.
Didn't we lose a probe because a problem between metric/imperial? [editline]20th November 2013[/editline] Also, if we do have to deorbit it, I hope we cover it in heat resistant 4k cameras inside and out. I would front the cost if I was super rich. Would be the video of a lifetime.
[QUOTE=Falubii;42924409]It kind of sucks being raised on imperial. I'm trying to get a feel for mass in kilos and velocities in kph or m/s, but I just can't do it. If I want to really picture something I have to convert it.[/QUOTE] I can't picture anything regardless of system used. If I get told something is 10 foot tall, I have to find something that I know is about a foot tall and use that for reference, my brain just can't do it on its own.
[QUOTE=OvB;42924511]Didn't we lose a probe because a problem between metric/imperial? [editline]20th November 2013[/editline] Also, if we do have to deorbit it, I hope we cover it in heat resistant 4k cameras inside and out. I would front the cost if I was super rich. Would be the video of a lifetime.[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter[/url] "Whoops."
soon it's going to go through that rebellious phase and start twerking
Jesus I remember getting up at 3 am to go with my dad, at the time a cop, to escort the command module from Godard down to the Virginia state line. Has it really been that long?
when will they upgrade it to use a singularity engine?
[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42923513]they measure acceleration in feet per second squared and it makes me want to cry[/QUOTE] that's just repulsive
Honestly they should just send it into high orbit and turn it into a derelict.
When its done (end of life), they will deorbit it into the pacific ocean. It makes no sense economically to keep it there, we have enough stuff in low orbit.
[QUOTE=muffinmastah;42929720]When its done (end of life), they will deorbit it into the pacific ocean. It makes no sense economically to keep it there, we have enough stuff in low orbit.[/QUOTE] Well that wouldn't be the logic. Pushing it into a significantly higher orbit would be somewhat difficult and should another station replace it, and it go unused, it wouldn't make much sense to want to restock it repeatedly to hold its altitude.
Happy birthday!
hey american units are not american enough, we still use British thermal units. you guys gripe about it but us here in american engineering schools have to actually deal with conversions between the two. [editline]20th November 2013[/editline] and can people stop bringing up the metric/imperial crash... like only 1\10 mars probes have ever made it. no Russian probe since like 1978 has made it and they shot like over a dozen and they used all metrics
[QUOTE=Sableye;42930406]you guys gripe about it but us here in american engineering schools have to actually deal with conversions between the two. [/QUOTE] Not really, working in the aerospace industry you generally have to deal with both on a daily basis. You'll find most aircraft fasteners are all derived from standard imperial sizes such as 3/32" etc. It's a pain to deal with sometimes, especially when you've been working on something like A350 drawings and you get dumped over to do 787 stuff. I mean you can definitely see how this stuff occurs, all it would take is a little bit of complacency from some engineers/inspection and some things slip through.
happy birthday
I wonder if it will make an account on here
[QUOTE=Whitefox08;42928502]Honestly they should just send it into high orbit and turn it into a derelict.[/QUOTE] NASA has its head too far up its ass to ever leave shit in orbit. They won't even let it fling off into space in fear of contaminating unexplored space. (because with your budget cuts you totally have that on your agenda)
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