RE: Re: RE: RE: starship-design: Re: Perihelion Maneuver

["L. Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net>]

On Thursday, December 04, 1997 1:30 PM, Isaac Kuo 
[SMTP:kuo@bit.csc.lsu.edu] wrote:
> >So was the Sat-V concept at the time.  But I agree the scale and its
> >implied
> >cost are critical problems.
>
> No it wasn't.  It's only a couple orders of magnitude larger than its
> predecessors.
>
> The manned sail system is more like a dozen orders of magnitude beyond
> what we've ever done in critical areas.
>
If I understand your argument correctly you are saying:

1) Saturn V technology was merely scaled up V-2 technology, quantitatively 
different as oppossed to qualitatively different, and that the orders of 
magnitude in this instance are different generations of the same 
technology, and

2) Manned sail systems are a dozen orders of magnitude (qualitatively?) 
different.

I am assuming that you were starting with the V-2, that is the only way 
your statement makes _any_ sense. This argument takes a fledgling 
technology, unmanned V-2 rockets and moves to manned Saturn V's in one o  
rder of magnitude. Using the SAME reasoning, we have already flown a first 
generation unmanned solar sail, so it is only ONE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE to a 
manned design. Maybe you want to use a different analogy?

Lee

                                                      (o o)
--------------------------------------------------oOO--(_)--OOo---------

HOW TO COOK AN EGG -- Physics Edition

"If you tie one of these eggs to the end of a string and whirl it round
rapidly, and suddenly stop, the movement may perhaps be converted into
heat, and then . . ."

"And then the egg will be cooked?"

"Yes, if the rotation has been swift enough. But how do you get the
stoppage without breaking the egg?"

-- Jules Verne, The School for Crusoes