Science and Technology Thread

Postby **shafnutz05** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 8:48 am

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/april/na ... d=13549574

Pretty excited for this close fly-by of Pluto and Charon, has taken almost ten years to get that far away.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 11:32 am

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/april/na ... d=13549574

Pretty excited for this close fly-by of Pluto and Charon, has taken almost ten years to get that far away.

Nice. My wife and I have our names on that mission.

http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/m ... ewhorizons

Postby **Shyster** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 6:52 pm

Better video of the SpaceX near landing, including the ensuing RUD:

If you watch the top of the stage, you can see one of the RCS (reaction control system) thrusters blasting away in vain trying to keep the stage upright, but it can't quite manage to hold it up and it tips over. I thinking the thought process of the SpaceX team watching his go down live probably went something like this: Yes! No! Nononononono... F***.

Postby **grunthy** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:34 pm

Postby **Shyster** » Fri Apr 17, 2015 6:16 pm

New view of the SpaceX landing attempt from the barge:

Looks like one of the landing legs broke or collapsed from the landing, and the stage toppled to that side. Supposedly Elon Musk said something about the throttle on the center Merlin engine (the one responsible for landing) sticking slightly, so that could explain why the landing was harder than it should have been. This was really close to a successful landing; if this were hockey, this was a shot off the post.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:36 pm

http://www.vocativ.com/culture/science/ ... cines-mmr/

In a study of 95,000 children, researchers were unable to find any association between the measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The researchers also examined whether each child had a family history of autism; even for children within this high-risk category, they found no association between MMR and autism.

Well, this should thankfully end the debate, right?

Postby **obhave** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:15 pm

http://www.vocativ.com/culture/science/ ... cines-mmr/

In a study of 95,000 children, researchers were unable to find any association between the measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The researchers also examined whether each child had a family history of autism; even for children within this high-risk category, they found no association between MMR and autism.
Well, this should thankfully end the debate, right?

Doubtful.

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:16 pm

MMR still does not cause autism. Color me shocked.

Postby **count2infinity** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:25 pm

the people that need to read that, likely won't read it, so no... it won't end the "debate".

Postby **PFiDC** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:50 pm

I know a few anti-vax people and none of them believe it causes autism. I'm not even sure the majority of the people who are anti-vax do so because they think it causes autism. Some certainly do but the people I have encountered have a more "libertarian" approach to it. They feel being forced to inject their children with something is not cool.

Personally...I think that's ridiculous (my kid is vaccinated)

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:25 pm

All of the anti-vaxxers I've ever met or interacted with are afraid of vax side-effects, real or imagined. I've yet to meet one who applied a political philosophy to the decision.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:17 pm

Is this the same mentality as the people that don't wear a seat belt because it's required by law?

Postby **Tomas** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:15 pm

I don't want to create a new thread, so this may be the appropriate place:

Even though I totally understand the importance of space exploration, I really don't know much about space exploration history, etc. On Thursday, Fred Haise, James Lovell and Gene Kranz of Apollo 13 fame will speak at the UofA (http://news.uark.edu/articles/27296/apo ... -at-u-of-a). The admission is free, and I do potentially have time to go there. So, my question is: if 0=totally no big deal and 100="if you miss this lecture, you'll take it with you to your f&^#@ grave" - how hard should I try to attend?

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:34 pm

203

But that's just my opinion.

Postby **Z'MaattaU** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:40 pm

http://healthimpactnews.com/2015/zero-u ... -reported/

Postby **shafnutz05** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:42 pm

Tomas, you absolutely attend that lecture. I had the immense fortune of getting to meet and talk to Gene Kranz during my Coastie days, the dude is just incredible to talk to. Have fun!!

Postby **Shyster** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:02 pm

I don't want to create a new thread, so this may be the appropriate place:

Even though I totally understand the importance of space exploration, I really don't know much about space exploration history, etc. On Thursday, Fred Haise, James Lovell and Gene Kranz of Apollo 13 fame will speak at the UofA (http://news.uark.edu/articles/27296/apo ... -at-u-of-a). The admission is free, and I do potentially have time to go there. So, my question is: if 0=totally no big deal and 100="if you miss this lecture, you'll take it with you to your f&^#@ grave" - how hard should I try to attend?

100. To make a comparison, when it comes to the history of space flight, this would be something akin to a hockey lecture featuring Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, and Bobby Orr.

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:11 pm

http://healthimpactnews.com/2015/zero-u ... -reported/

That story.......

Postby **Shyster** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 1:12 pm

Earlier today the Russian space agency launched an unmanned Progress cargo vehicle to the ISS. The launch seemed nominal but contract with the Progress was intermittent at best. When some video from the vehicle's onboard cameras finally made it down, the reason became obvious; the vehicle is spinning on its long axis at a fairly decent clip.

So Antares/Cygnus blows up and Progress is spinning out of control. This is the second Progress failure in four years; a Progress launch in 2011 failed due to an engine problem on the Soyuz rocket's third stage. The SpaceX Falcon 9 / Dragon is starting to look like the most reliable option for ISS resupply.

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:33 pm

Yikes, does an out of control object like that pose any threats to other satellites or the ISS itself?

Postby **Silentom** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:40 pm

Yikes, does an out of control object like that pose any threats to other satellites or the ISS itself?

My initial thought, as well. I guess if its spinning that much, though, that its probably not on course anymore.

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:41 pm

Well, that's why it would be dangerous, right? It's no longer predictably tooling about space.

Postby **Shyster** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:17 pm

Yikes, does an out of control object like that pose any threats to other satellites or the ISS itself?

Nah. It would need to execute additional burns to get to the ISS anyway, and there are no satellites to worry about in that orbit. It won't be up there long either. If they don't get it under control enough to execute a burn to raise its perigee, then I've seen projections that it could reenter the atmosphere and burn up within approximately the next three days or so.

Postby **Shyster** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 1:57 pm

The Progress has been declared a loss by the Russian space agency. In addition, the US Air Force has detected a cloud of small objects surrounding the Progress, so it looks like there was some sort of RUD (rapid unplanned disassembly) as part of this. The Russians have also said that the reaction control system on the Progress has depressurized somehow. At the moment, the focus for the whole accident seems to be on the third stage of the Soyuz-U rocket that lifted the Progress to orbit. The theory going around the space forums I read is that the Progress either didn't separate cleanly from the third stage, or the third stage didn't shut down properly and slammed into the back of the Progress after separation. An impact could explain the debris and the spin.

Either way, because the Progress didn't perform a circularization/stabilization burn, it's going to re-enter and (mostly) burn up some time in the next couple weeks. I can imagine seeing more news stories on this, as there is a chance debris could make it to the ground.

Postby **tifosi77** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 2:08 pm

RUD (rapid unplanned disassembly) as part of this.

I love military & engineering acronyms. I believe the English word for this is 'explosion'.

One of my favorite uses of that type of euphemism comes from an F-14 pilot named Hoser. He once ate a couple big bowls of chili right before scheduled takeoff time. After launching and getting fuel, increasing pain and pressure in his GI tract led him to have doubts about his ability to last the entire flight. He tells his RIO, who declares an emergency and they return to the carrier. While dumping fuel to make landing weight, Hoser suffered a critical sphincter valve blowout which led to an uncommanded DUMPEX in the cockpit.