CookieG Posted July 21, 2019 Posted July 21, 2019 On 7/18/2019 at 10:28 AM, sherpa said: All explained many times, and I'm sure you're kidding. I've always been into this, to the point where I understand all of the com during the descent phase, as well as the 1201 and 1202 alarms. A few of us went to see Apollo 11 tonight at the theater. During the lunar descent scene, I leaned over to my wife and said, "see, even Neil Armstrong drives with the Service Engine Soon light on and the gas gauge approaching E." 3
SoTier Posted July 21, 2019 Author Posted July 21, 2019 19 hours ago, K-9 said: In addition to taking the technology for granted, I think we take the sheer human brilliance for granted even more. Thousands of mathematicians, physicists, etc., using slide rules to calculate with great precision the orbital mechanics involved. It took them a little longer to compute vs. the fraction of a second it takes a powerful computer of today, but they were just as accurate. Amazing display of human capability. To think we have to suffer the flat earth and other science denying idiots 50 years later. As someone who loves both history and science (my careers included teaching and IT), I am in absolute awe at the accomplishment of Apollo 11. In 1903, the Wright Brothers made the first motorized air flight. In 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. The technological innovations that went into going from a bi-plane to a lunar lander probably exceeded all the technological innovations of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Much of the technology we take for granted today has its roots the Apollo program. 1
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 21, 2019 Posted July 21, 2019 9 minutes ago, SoTier said: As someone who loves both history and science (my careers included teaching and IT), I am in absolute awe at the accomplishment of Apollo 11. In 1903, the Wright Brothers made the first motorized air flight. In 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. The technological innovations that went into going from a bi-plane to a lunar lander probably exceeded all the technological innovations of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Much of the technology we take for granted today has its roots the Apollo program. They were also taking huge chances, risks. I liken it to how we used to drive. Every year my wife's family would load up the VW SquareBack and head to ADKs... The four children, rear seat down... Every thing for the week. They bought nothing in Long Lake. The food, clothes, my BiL's Tonka® trucks, the case of Genny, the watermelon... Three girls, baby brother... Cramned into the VW for the 6 hour journey. One stop for lunch. Then roll into Long Lake. My wife would stand behind my FiL as he drove... And this is before they "splurged" and got a roof-rack after 5 years! You know... The first thing they did pulling into Cabin, even before unloading VDub? They went to Saturday Evening Mass! That's how we went to The Moon! They had a leaky valve and were banging on it with wrenches... Then "just" bypassed it. It was a different era... Do we, fly down highway 60 miles an hour with a loaded SquareBack and kids sprawled amongst the luggage in back, now? HELL NO. We are buckled into a $55,000 BMW!
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted July 23, 2019 Posted July 23, 2019 RIP Christopher Kraft: The face of NASA: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/science/christopher-kraft-dead-nasa.html
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