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