Comment Re:Space plane? (Score 1) 149
It was called the Space Transportation System, and has been circling around in LEO for nearly the past thirty years.
Comment Re:Even Hollywood... (Score 3, Informative) 224
They have manual control available for once the Progress gets to the parking orbit. The issue is Progress 38 didn't go to the parking orbit, it just went straight on past.
Comment Re:Just like the game (Score 1) 94
Oh, so kinda like what BOTH had to do to win the Lunar Lander Challenge?
Fly up to a predetermined altitude (varied depending on competition level), translate horizontally a specific distance (again, how far depended on the competition level), stay airborne for a certain amount of time (length depended, again, on competition level) land on a simulated lunar surface complete with boulders, then fly back with the same flight altitude, time and distance requirements within the allotted time.
Oh, and bring enough fuel to make each flight without running out. One of the teams (neither Masten nor Armadillo), did run out of fuel a few feet off the pad and crashed.
Fly up to a predetermined altitude (varied depending on competition level), translate horizontally a specific distance (again, how far depended on the competition level), stay airborne for a certain amount of time (length depended, again, on competition level) land on a simulated lunar surface complete with boulders, then fly back with the same flight altitude, time and distance requirements within the allotted time.
Oh, and bring enough fuel to make each flight without running out. One of the teams (neither Masten nor Armadillo), did run out of fuel a few feet off the pad and crashed.
Comment Re:Apple (Score 1) 668
While yes, you do have to link you Android phone to a Google account, you don't have to download apps from the Google app store. You can download and install apps from anywhere. All it takes is checking one box in the settings.
Comment Re:That was the Falcon 1 (Score 1) 116
The Falcon 1 uses one engine.
The Falcon 9 uses nine engines.
I'll let you figure out how many engines the canceled Falcon 5 had.
The Falcon 9 uses nine engines.
I'll let you figure out how many engines the canceled Falcon 5 had.
Comment Re:armadillo placed second! (Score 1) 110
The X Prize Foundation was in charge of running the contest. It was their decision to bend the rules.
Comment Re:Fascinating (Score 5, Interesting) 147
Not only do we have landers, rovers, and satellites around another planet, but we can coordinate them so one of the orbiting satellites can take a picture of a lander as it is landing!
A photo from Mars Odyssey (satellite) taking a picture of Mars Phoenix Lander with enough detail to see the parachute shroud lines can be found here
A photo from Mars Odyssey (satellite) taking a picture of Mars Phoenix Lander with enough detail to see the parachute shroud lines can be found here
Space Is Just a Little Bit Closer Than Expected 130
SpuriousLogic points out a BBC story which begins "The upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere are much lower than expected, a US Air Force satellite has found. Currently, the ionosphere — a layer of charged particles that envelopes the planet — is at an altitude of about
420km, some 200km lower than expected. The behaviour of the ionosphere is important because disturbances in its structure can upset satellite communications and radar."
Comment Re:Do they take Paypal? (Score 2, Informative) 197
I know I shouldn't have, like any good /.er, but I read the article. The $42 million includes shipping from KSC to the airport nearest the purchasing museum. You still have to pay to get it from the airport to the display site.
Comment Re:stormtrooper vs red shirt (Score 1) 809
So, what your saying is its the Stoppable Force vs. the Movable Object?
