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Monday’s Forum
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8 responses to “Monday’s Forum”
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Moderna’s flu vaccine should be out in drugstores soon. Early reports of clinical trials indicate it may be somewhat more effective than the older vaccines. And in theory it can be quickly modified if an unexpected flu strain shows up. It will be available only to people 50 and older, though I’ve no idea how this will be enforced; or maybe it’s just the guidelines issued by the FDA.
I usually get for my flu shot in late October to early November. If the Us so-called government is trying to limit its use domestically, it might be found in larger quantitites in other countries as well.
Either way, one should get whatever shot is available.
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It seem the latest Xtarship didn’t blow up.
Ok. so it’s now in orbit, too.
This must be a new kind of record. The most flights and blown up rockets to get to the testing stage.
Well, at least Xpaces’ business model is safe, for now. They can launch as many larger internet satellites as they need, and perhaps even for less money per launch (I won’t believe it until I see the numbers*).
It’s hard to get excited about space travel these days, when so many more launch options and price points are available, yet here we are.
I mean, NASA wasn’t lying when they hyped the shuttle as a low cost revolutionary vehicle. Not at first, when the program was in development. Afterward, say past the first launch of the ill-fated Columbia, yes. They stopped hyping the vehicle and began to lie about it. The broligarchs have been lying form the start.
The goal isn’t to go to Mars, or to build a civilization there. the goal is share value.
*My earlier intuition about Xpaces revenue coming from internet services rather than launch services was proven 100% correct. It may be the actual demand for launching stuff into orbit cannot support a launch company at the crazy high stock valuations investors demand these days.
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The original Shuttle design was smaller, crucially with a far smaller wing, and then came changes required by various agencies other than NASA, namely the DoD.
So, bigger boosters, bigger engines, bigger cross section exposed to re-entry heat. and little experience with reusable heat shield ceramic tiles. So, yes, it wound up being the most expensive way to launch stuff into orbit.
And after the Challenger disaster, it wasn’t even the most convenient for most missions.
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I vaguely recall there was an argument at the time for shifting away from the Shuttle as the main launch system to one using the recoverable shuttle boosters and a (recoverable?) first stage engine module, and the shuttle type main fuel tank, with a orbital but not “reusable” second stage that could carry a variety of cargo.
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Dr. Freud, Mr. Fetterman has your slip.
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Before the SLS, earlier ideas for next generation Lunar ships, the Constellation program were somewhat more rational. Offhand I can recall the Ares I, which would use a single shuttle solid booster for a first stage, and I assume a liquid fueled second stage. It was meant to put a crewed capsule in low Earth orbit.
I don’t recall whether there was some measure of reusability. The most I read about it was an article in a science magazine in 2006.
Hmm. Maybe a return to the Moon is 20 years away, and always will be 🙂
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