NASA and Space Exloration

[supraman]

How about this? I'll get the Milenium Falcon fueled up and we can head over to Mars for dinner. Sound good? Pick you and Chewie up at 6pm?

Can it make the Kessel run in .5 parsecs? I wonder if the 3 boobed hooker is working on Mars tonight.

 

[ginnie]

It's semantics but it does make a big difference. The opinion I heard, that I tend to agree with is that those 'inventions' were not the brainchild of or resulted from the space program. They were not even under contract to be built for the space program. They were put under contract and added to the program to be USED BY the space program.

Would some of these things reached popularity and mass production/proliferation? Maybe not, without funding support from NASA. But that does not mean that NASA invented them or that they would not exist without the space program.





Semantics, I know...

I would be interested in finding out whose opinion you heard.

Fact is, there are millions of parts for the rockets, capsules, satellites that were specifically designed for the space program. NASA was very specific and stringent about what they used - almost everything had to be built from scratch. Manufacturers competed for the contract - in a lot of cases the technology didn't even exist yet.

e.g.

NASA: We need a lunar TV camera capable of operating on the moon that will transmit the signal to earth for nation wide broadcast...



Westinghouse Electronic Corporation: We can do it 'cause we invented a special image sensor that will meet all the requirements.

However, now we'll have to design a camera that can withstand temperature changes from minus 300 to plus 250 degrees F, that will operate in high vacuum, and televise pictures in the glare of lunar day and the earthshine conditions of lunar night.



So, of course NASA would approach a company or companies that have expertise in a certain area, and the final product would have some elements already in existence, but the majority of it in some cases were newly invented.







As an example. Lets say NASA need a screw.

Now, lots of companies makes screws. So they are given the requirements for the screw, they bid on it and the contract is awarded to ACME screw company. But, this screw needs to withstand temperatures of a ten thousand degrees. So the screw company has to invent a new material that can do it. It would not have existed without NASA's need for it.

 

[BigPete]

Stop being all NASA smart and nerdy! What gives, you got stock in NASA or something???

 

[R K]

Maybe the Adler will someday get the Hubble when they shut it down...IF they bring it down safetly. But since the shuttle program is down for now it will most likely be splashed down and sent to Davy Jones locker...although, we like to try and recover our imagery satellites so other countries don't get their hands on them. The Hubble is fairly similar to some of the older model imagery satellites (just pointed in the other direction

)

They say it would have been 100 Million to get it here but the revenue off tourism that thing would bring over time would have to be figured in.



I'd like to take a ride on the Enterprise. **** Mars, I think a different Galaxy would be in order.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

Good post Rosh!



And Biscuit you are a dork but that place is cool as shit. It's been many years since we've been there but I still remember the feeling I got the few times we were. Nothing like exploration, especially into outerspace!

I am...and I cannot believe the gut I am starting to get. Damn middle age sucks.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

I would be interested in finding out whose opinion you heard.

Fact is, there are millions of parts for the rockets, capsules, satellites that were specifically designed for the space program. NASA was very specific and stringent about what they used - almost everything had to be built from scratch. Manufacturers competed for the contract - in a lot of cases the technology didn't even exist yet.

e.g.

NASA: We need a lunar TV camera capable of operating on the moon that will transmit the signal to earth for nation wide broadcast...



Westinghouse Electronic Corporation: We can do it 'cause we invented a special image sensor that will meet all the requirements.

However, now we'll have to design a camera that can withstand temperature changes from minus 300 to plus 250 degrees F, that will operate in high vacuum, and televise pictures in the glare of lunar day and the earthshine conditions of lunar night.



So, of course NASA would approach a company or companies that have expertise in a certain area, and the final product would have some elements already in existence, but the majority of it in some cases were newly invented.







As an example. Lets say NASA need a screw.

Now, lots of companies makes screws. So they are given the requirements for the screw, they bid on it and the contract is awarded to ACME screw company. But, this screw needs to withstand temperatures of a ten thousand degrees. So the screw company has to invent a new material that can do it. It would not have existed without NASA's need for it.

Wait?, NASA invented the RFP?













<purple>

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Not before I get my god damn hat! And I'm not even sure what we upped the bet to for the playoff standing thing, but I still say I called it closer than you did.

This hat you've been waiting on for a couple of seasons now

When the hat does finally arrive it will be the John McDonough Heritage Night hat.

 

[MassHavoc]

This hat you've been waiting on for a couple of seasons now

When the hat does finally arrive it will be the John McDonough Heritage Night hat.

I can't decide if that's better or worse than a Jay Blunk Heritage Night hat.

 

[supraman]

I can't decide if that's better or worse than a Jay Blunk Heritage Night hat.

They are really the same both have Blunk blowing McPimp, having the same hat cuts down on costs.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

I can't decide if that's better or worse than a Jay Blunk Heritage Night hat.

I was really hoping RK would send you the Eddie O Heritage night hat.