Sunday, June 28, 2009
Plan B and Such
NASA has a cheaper launch vehicle built on space shuttle technology. The news pundits are calling it Plan B. It's similar to Lockheed coming out with an F-22 and then Boeing coming out with the Stealth Eagle, except that the same entity came out with both options. I'm not sure what this means. Is Ares way behind schedule and cost overruns going through the roof? Has NASA decided to stick with what it knows rather than reinvent the wheel all over again? Who knows?
I've wasted a lot of time the past few weeks trying to get nooks integrated into a Linux-2.4.18 kernel. So far, it's been a big failure. This is why i didn't go into software design. I would rather program wetware (DNA and cells) than a complicated machine even though the cell is much more complicated than anything Mankind has built.
I had been having trouble getting my car out of parking gear. The mechanics thought it was the shift interlock solenoid that was to blame. Since none of the dealers were carrying that part which means that that part almost seldom fails, they checked again and found a fuse had blown. After replacing the fuse, the problem went away as well as my yellow check engine light on my 2004 Ford Taurus. I think it cost me $40 to discover that.
I've wasted a lot of time the past few weeks trying to get nooks integrated into a Linux-2.4.18 kernel. So far, it's been a big failure. This is why i didn't go into software design. I would rather program wetware (DNA and cells) than a complicated machine even though the cell is much more complicated than anything Mankind has built.
I had been having trouble getting my car out of parking gear. The mechanics thought it was the shift interlock solenoid that was to blame. Since none of the dealers were carrying that part which means that that part almost seldom fails, they checked again and found a fuse had blown. After replacing the fuse, the problem went away as well as my yellow check engine light on my 2004 Ford Taurus. I think it cost me $40 to discover that.
Labels: when technology fails
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Hi John
Just as the huge investment in the War on Terror foiled NASA's plans to put a Man on Mars "sometime soon" it looks like the world slump has sucked money out of Lets Reinvent the Saturn V (aka Ares).
So I think Plan B is a good multi-decade idea. Only difference is I think NASA shouldn't try to reuse the two solid fuel boosters as the refurbishing process has proven more costly than straight replacement.
I'm glad you worked your Taurus problem out at low cost by not trusting the mechanics initial messy financial/technical "solution".
Regards
Pete
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Just as the huge investment in the War on Terror foiled NASA's plans to put a Man on Mars "sometime soon" it looks like the world slump has sucked money out of Lets Reinvent the Saturn V (aka Ares).
So I think Plan B is a good multi-decade idea. Only difference is I think NASA shouldn't try to reuse the two solid fuel boosters as the refurbishing process has proven more costly than straight replacement.
I'm glad you worked your Taurus problem out at low cost by not trusting the mechanics initial messy financial/technical "solution".
Regards
Pete
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