I may be out of a job soon.

[335clone]

what is this?

No partial quoting, Mark.

Acoustic launch and trans orbital simulation. There is an acoustic chamber large enough to stand the Hubble on end inside. There are a number of gas driven horns, from 20Hz to 350hz (if memory serves me) that are driven by high pressure nitrogen. These horns reproduce the vibrations and stresses of a launch from earth, through the trans orbital range to orbit. Most spacecraft are required to undergo thourogh testing, with hundreds of accelerometers to guage the stresses on the spacecraft. The chamber is also used for acoustic cleaning of components of a spacecraft. For example, the outer barrel assemblies of the Hubble were brought in after initial machining and assembly. We basicaly put a diaper at the bottom and shook the living shit out of it, much like an ultrasonic cleaner. All the left over bits of metal shavings were shaken out of their hiding places into the botom and removed.

Found a pic

here is a cool video of some of the environmental testing a spacecraft typicaly endures before launch.




God, sometimes I miss my old job.

 

[Coda]

...I feel I was misunderstood, Im just saying that if America should choose to expand its self, it should be through space exploration, im am in no way advocating the removal of any alien peoples from there indigenous homelands...


...however, I think you hipster is showing...

 

[cfgsteak]

This thread is why I want an Explorer.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

This thread is why I want an Explorer.

because "fuck it, let's make some music"?

 

[Tralfaz]

gennation predicted this.

Actually, I predicted this. (gennation may have predicted it too, I suppose.) It's one of the reasons that even though I'm a Democrat, I strongly opposed the nomination of Obama. Early on in his campaign, his platform specifically stated that he wanted to kill the Constellation program and move that money into other things, like education. He backed away from that stance when he campaigned in Texas, but I don't think he ever really changed his mind.

Anyhow, I don't want to get involved in a discussion of politics. But like Steverino, I and a lot of my friends and coworkers stand to lose our jobs when the shuttle program ends and NASA shrivels up.

We're literally in the midst of noting the anniversaries of the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia tragedies. This budget cut isn't doing much to lift our spirits here.

 

[Punchy]

because "fuck it, let's make some music"?

D'oh. I completely missed it and went Ford, immediately thinking "Holy hell, why?!?"

 

[jaxn slim]

The Daily Show last night had a pretty entertaining and sad take on WTF is going on with the democrats.

Here is an 8-minute clip.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-27-2010/blues-clueless?xrs=rss_tdsvids

 

[CGord]

Goldman Sachs alone could pay almost all of Nasa's annual budget ($17.318bn) just with it's pay and bonuses ($16.19bn) for last year. Seriously.

And that is the disgusting part.

Mojo sent from the unemployment trenches, brah.

 

[cfgsteak]

D'oh. I completely missed it and went Ford, immediately thinking "Holy hell, why?!?"

LOL!

 

[Puckman]

Without this turning into a giant political bitchfest I'd have to say that I agree that cutting funding to the sciences is a bad idea.

Personally, I agree.

And without going all political either, I just don't understand how people can complain non-stop about the deficit, the debt, and how much our government spends, and then turn around and complain the next day about funding cuts.
You can't really have it both ways, unfortunately.

That's why I gave up long ago trying to have rational political discourse with most people.

 

[cfgsteak]

I gave up long ago trying to have rational political discourse with most people.

this.

 

[Mark Wein]

is this still friendly? I'm in simultaneous pissing matches with a roofer, my payroll company and my merchant card company and I have to get my son fed and to school in the next hour...

 

[Puckman]

I was just trying to demonstrate a general principle: many people, if left to their own devices, will support their own short-sighted interests. Everything's related and nothing happens in a bubble, but many can't or won't see that.

"I'm not paying for federal highways! I use surface streets."
Yes, but the big-ass trucks that bring big-ass deals to your big-ass WalMart use those roads.

"I'm not paying for public schools! I don't have any kids."
Yes, but the cop who pulls you over or the jury of your peers might be the product of that public school system. You want to short-sheet the learning of the general populace? Go right ahead.

It's all related. Sometimes I can't fit my point into a smart-ass one liner, I guess.

This. Times a million trillion bazillion. Thank you. You just made my day.

 

[Toasteroven]

is this still friendly? I'm in simultaneous pissing matches with a roofer, my payroll company and my merchant card company and I have to get my son fed and to school in the next hour...

Still friendly so far, but give me a few minutes and I'll change that.

* cracks knuckles *

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

is this still friendly? I'm in simultaneous pissing matches with a roofer, my payroll company and my merchant card company and I have to get my son fed and to school in the next hour...

if you want, baimun and i can call you for lessons on schmoozing with politicians.

 

[baimun]

is this still friendly? I'm in simultaneous pissing matches with a roofer, my payroll company and my merchant card company and I have to get my son fed and to school in the next hour...

Nope. Don't see Pooh around here....

 

[Steverino]

Just came from a meeting with the brass. Of course, they said the Executive Branch can only suggest a budget. The Legislative Branch must review, amend, and pass the spending bills. I've written my Congressman, that's about all I can do (except polish my resume) :(

 

[Mrs.P]

If we stop space science studies, who will make lenses like they did for the Hubble Space Telescope? Those lenses are the only reason I can read any of this. Ask Prages he has seen my glasses.

 

[335clone]

If we stop space science studies, who will make lenses like they did for the Hubble Space Telescope? Those lenses are the only reason I can read any of this. Ask Prages he has seen my glasses.

Perkin-Elmer, just like the originals.

As a matter of fact, they still have the #1 primary mirror for Hubble in a crate somewhere. You could probably buy it for a few Mil. It lacks the spherical aberration of the one on board, it's F'n perfect. Did you know the defect would be the size of a golf ball if the mirror was the diameter of the earth?

I was the crane operator on the install of the #2 Primary mirror (considered a perfect twin of the #1 before launch) and my father was the test conductor in charge of the move. Had I somehow dropped that SOB we'd both have lost our jobs but the Hubble would have been perfect on-orbit.

 

[Sad Navigator]

...I feel I was misunderstood, Im just saying that if America should choose to expand its self, it should be through space exploration, im am in no way advocating the removal of any alien peoples from there indigenous homelands...


...however, I think you hipster is showing...

What's "hipster" about being grossed out by seemingly un-thinking, seemingly un-ironic appeals to Manifest Destiny and the American Dream and the rest of that rah-rah American Exceptionalism nonsense?

Have you considered the fact that maybe America isn't special, isn't a "shining city on a hill," and, in fact, is made up of people not terribly different than Costa Ricans or Macedonians or whomever who do not feel they have some quasi-divine right to keep expanding into and claiming ownership of the places that they "discover?" I mean, the American Dream basically says that Americans (because they're special) deserve or should achieve a better, richer, and happier life. The "-er" implies THAN SOMEONE ELSE.

In short, what makes you so special?