ultramegachurch

4 ms·

1.
by ultramegachurch 4y ago
This is a shockingly cynical and reductive take on Mars exploration. The enthusiasm for human exploration of the solar system is earnest and valid, and I assure you, not a cog in an international conspiracy. One doesn't have to choose
2.
by ultramegachurch 4y ago
Yeah, this hits home. I'm only 28 but can feel my life becoming more and more predictable and stagnate. At the same time, I'm too afraid and money-conscious to make any bold changes (e.g., quit my job, start a business, go back to
3.
by ultramegachurch 4y ago
> what's worth consuming? Nothing. I'm a firm believer that even checking the news daily is a waste of time and energy. I'm a former news junky but had a change of heart when I realized it was worsening my anxiety and depr
4.
by ultramegachurch 4y ago
I work at a clean energy startup, which is an industry that desperately needs the talent that aerospace often grabs. I wholeheartedly agree that space is a useful endeavor.
5.
by ultramegachurch 4y ago
I'm looking forward to ~5 years from now when hopefully a lot of these small launch companies have gone under. They suck up insane amounts of venture capital and engineering talent. A few companies will certainly rise to the top, Rocke
6.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
Agreed. Introductory paragraphs like the one below always bug me. I know what news is, I wouldn't have clicked if I didn't. "So what is the news anyway? In its simplest and most universal definition news is information about
7.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
Tangentially related - there’s a certain sublimity to watching cable tv commercials in 2022. I’m completely converted to streaming, so the only time I see tv commercials is at my parents house. And in that context, I find myself enjoying th
8.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
I had the same reaction. I’m an endlessly skeptical and often cynical person. Whenever I see someone confidently believe they are “right”, I instinctively trust them less. This article made me realize this is just my own flavor of righteous
9.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
Great article that hits home with a fear of mine. I'm not afraid of aging or dying per se, but I fear a day when I'm no longer physically or mentally capable of working towards ambitious goals. I'm an extremely goal oriented
10.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
I'm deeply sorry for the loss of your father. Do you mind expanding on the story of watching the two men drown? I'm curious how you found yourself in that situation.
11.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
Incredibly unlikely. First, it would have to fail in a way that’s possible to fix. We don’t have robots that can replace screws, solder joints, and polish mirrors in space. Then we’d have to design a brand new spacecraft and mission. That w
12.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
“Maybe Jeff Bezos could fund this” is not a good parameter to design a mission around.
13.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
It’s still not that simple, unfortunately. Ironically, there are too many single pint failures. Maybe JWST broke in a way that can’t be repaired. Maybe congress doesn’t approve the repair mission. Maybe the repair mission would actually cos
14.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
That may be true, but designing a mission based off that hypothetical is a bad idea. The reality is we currently don’t have the capability for humans to service satellites, and developing that capability would probably take years and cost &
15.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
I suspect the deployed structure cannot handle the acceleration required for escape velocity. That also may require much more propellant. Then on top of that, we don’t have the capability for humans to service satellites other than the ISS.
16.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
>I think what I'd like to emphasize is that everyone just needs to find whatever works for them If only it were this easy! As the article points out, often what you think works best for you is actually just what you're used to.
17.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
I disagree. I'm intrigued by this technique as it forces you to engage with the material while also prioritizing information, something I've always struggled with. I'm excited to give it a spin.
18.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
That 0.5 billion (which to be clear, is a number I made up) won't guarantee that JWST will be fixed. The "fixer" spacecraft could end up failing itself. Or it could discover new problems that it's not equipped to handle.
19.
by ultramegachurch 5y ago
Highly unlikely. That would require designing a new spacecraft from the ground up while also developing new robotics and operations technologies. I'd peg that mission at $300 - $500 million. NASA would almost certainty be better off do