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Things like him replying are what fosters future scientists/thinkers IMO. Passion should be nurtured. Would it be ok to ask you your thoughts about the space s

Things like him replying are what fosters future scientists/thinkers IMO. Passion should be nurtured. Would it be ok to ask you your thoughts about the space shuttle? Is that weird? I really apologize if so.

WalterBright 5y ago
I told him that obviously the critical expense of getting to orbit was weight. (Of course, I didn't actually tell him anything he didn't know.) Wings, rudder and landing gear are heavy and expensive and are only useful for the last few seconds of flight. All that dead weight did was subtract from what the machine could do in orbit. I said the only thing one really needed to bring back was the crew, and an Apollo capsule would do just fine for that. He agreed, and said he'd argued similarly. Musk had an even better idea. Bring the ordinary booster rocket back without wings, rudder, or landing gear by using a bit of extra fuel at the last moment to kiss the landing pad rather than smash it. That empty tin balloon of a booster isn't going to fall that fast or need that much fuel to do it.
- effingwewt 5y ago
  Right on, I appreciate it. I can't believe even HH was arguing for this stuff and NASA was just like 'eh'. I don't like Elon, his methods, or his companies, but I am grateful for the progress his engineers have wrought! Also have you seen the launches in person? Here we have some that look like glowing floating balls of plasma. When SpaceX was first doing tests everyone was outside thinking it was aliens or a bomb, it was that far outside anything people had ever seen before.
  - WalterBright 5y ago
    I like Elon, his methods, and his companies. He's a grown up Tom Swift. If he was a science fiction character, I'd dismiss him as unbelievable. I hope he gets to Mars before I run out of time.
    - effingwewt 5y ago
      I can definitely appreciate that. Maybe I should restrict my feelings to the man himself and not his job and his companies.

WalterBright 5y ago

I told him that obviously the critical expense of getting to orbit was weight. (Of course, I didn't actually tell him anything he didn't know.) Wings, rudder and landing gear are heavy and expensive and are only useful for the last few seconds of flight. All that dead weight did was subtract from what the machine could do in orbit. I said the only thing one really needed to bring back was the crew, and an Apollo capsule would do just fine for that. He agreed, and said he'd argued similarly. Musk had an even better idea. Bring the ordinary booster rocket back without wings, rudder, or landing gear by using a bit of extra fuel at the last moment to kiss the landing pad rather than smash it. That empty tin balloon of a booster isn't going to fall that fast or need that much fuel to do it.

effingwewt 5y ago
Right on, I appreciate it. I can't believe even HH was arguing for this stuff and NASA was just like 'eh'. I don't like Elon, his methods, or his companies, but I am grateful for the progress his engineers have wrought! Also have you seen the launches in person? Here we have some that look like glowing floating balls of plasma. When SpaceX was first doing tests everyone was outside thinking it was aliens or a bomb, it was that far outside anything people had ever seen before.
- WalterBright 5y ago
  I like Elon, his methods, and his companies. He's a grown up Tom Swift. If he was a science fiction character, I'd dismiss him as unbelievable. I hope he gets to Mars before I run out of time.
  - effingwewt 5y ago
    I can definitely appreciate that. Maybe I should restrict my feelings to the man himself and not his job and his companies.