Blue Origin successfully completes its first crewed spaceflight with Bezos in tow

[scavengerspc]

"...the Kármán line (...) at 62 miles above sea level...". Why 62 miles? Because it's such a nice, round (metric) number...

I wondered that too. Judging by the shape of that thing you would think they would go 69 miles.

 

[Peter Farkas]

Why does it look like a giant phallus? Was that intentional? You know, half of us remain uncircumcised…is this a slap in the face to non-Jews? I’m confused.

my first thought too. the giant dildo blasted off Bezos and a few others...

 

[XTplan]

Watched both Branson & Bezos flight to space. Not to minimize its significance, but it is underwhelming. Somehow, it is feels like saying that someone has been to countries X, Y & Z when one plane flies over the country airspace.

 

[captaincranky]

my first thought too. the giant dildo blasted off Bezos and a few others...

Well, Bezos has become the richest man in the world by nickle and diming people in online retail sales.

He quit Amazon, and has since set his sights on, "loftier goals", by taking tourists to space at 28 million a pop. (with of course, "free shipping").I'm wondering if you had to be a "Prime" member to even enter a bid..

The dildo shape may be sublimated, but it's doubtless symbolic of the way he intends to "stick it to people on the price of tickets"

As the capability of his "dildockets" increases, he may eventually send people to the moon. However, instead of the more traditional concept of lunar colonization is thought of, Bezos more than likely envisions "inseminating the moon with humankind".
\
To which I say, "you go for it Jeffy boy., aim for the Copernicus crater, and don't quit til you ram it home".

 

[captaincranky]

Watched both Branson & Bezos flight to space. Not to minimize its significance, but it is underwhelming. Somehow, it is feels like saying that someone has been to countries X, Y & Z when one plane flies over the country airspace.

Dude, a chimp did more than what Bezos and Lord Bleachblonde did, 60 years ago.

Please refer to my post #11 on the 1st page.

 

[m3tavision]

 

[wiyosaya]

I've read recounts from SR-71 pilots of "flying in black skies". While the 71's ramjet engines still required oxygen, at their operational altitude (about 85,000 ft, give or take), they were still above 90+% of the earths atmosphere.

While I don't doubt the boundary point you describe, it's more than likely at the point where oxygen and nitrogen atoms can no longer be detected, I do think that's much higher than the point where the sky is perceived as "black".

Here's an interesting Wikipedia page about the Kármán line. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kármán_line
From the article:

At the Kármán line of 300,000 feet (91 km), the air density ρ is such that

L = 1 2 ρ v 0 2 S C L = m g {\displaystyle L={\tfrac {1}{2}}\rho v_{0}^{2}SC_{L}=mg} L={\tfrac 12}\rho v_{0}^{2}SC_{L}=mg

where

v0 is the speed of a circular orbit at the same altitude in vacuum

m is the mass of the aircraft (equal to S times the wing loading)

g is the acceleration due to gravity.

Which sounds like it implies that there is still atmosphere there and that you need to be basically in free-fall to stay aloft.

 

[Ben Myers]

Definitely a penis-like shape to Bezos' rocket. Is he saying, "Mine is bigger than yours, Elon and Richard"?

 

[captaincranky]

Definitely a penis-like shape to Bezos' rocket. Is he saying, "Mine is bigger than yours, Elon and Richard"?

Well.at this point in time, referentially speaking Musk, "doesn't have a penis", since the closest he's gotten to space, is when he's a passenger in his expense accounted Gulfstream G650..

In which he flies, (or rather is flown), from place to place. He does eject enough hot air to make people believe he's capable of achieving orbital velocity on the rising column of bullsh!t. But, alas, it just ain't so.

He has the technology to, (ostensibly), build a larger,meaner, less compromising "dildocket", than Bezos. But, even he lacks a gift of gab "potent" enough, to talk a government into funding a venture private enough to be categorized as a, "pissing contest", between himself, Jeff Bezos, and Sir Bleachblonde".

IMHO. he lacks the stones to get higher than he did on that blunt he smoked for the camera.. Well save for the potential intranasal ingestion of a bit of fuel in the form of Peruvian marching powder, which, (or which may not), give an added robustness to his exuberance when speaking in front of a camera.

 

[captaincranky]

Here's an interesting Wikipedia page about the Kármán line. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kármán_line
From the article:

Which sounds like it implies that there is still atmosphere there and that you need to be basically in free-fall to stay aloft.

OK, I read that entire page. I even arttempted to decpher that algebra involved. First, I suck at math. "1- x = 8", I can solve algebraically... Anything beyond that, I forget the minute I walk out of a classroom. However, it is a lift, drag, velocity based formula, to determine what would be aerodynamically necessary to "fly" in atmosphere that thin.

Given the sheer number of variables needed to be plugged in as possible coefficients, maybe "Watson" could deal with it for us..However the realities of building such a flying machine might prove insurmountable.

Thus, the Karman line, is at once an incredibly precise, yet completely arbitrary point above earth.

So, the Karmin line is the point where it is too low to achieve "stable orbit", and too high to fly in, aerodynamically.. (more or less).

All of which has had the old saw, "too old to rock n' roll, too young to die", "floating around", in my cranium all day..

 

[wiyosaya]

Well.at this point in time, referentially speaking Musk, "doesn't have a penis", since the closest he's gotten to space, is when he's a passenger in his expense accounted Gulfstream G650..

With dreams of being a "marser".

In which he flies, (or rather is flown), from place to place. He does eject enough hot air to make people believe he's capable of achieving orbital velocity on the rising column of bullsh!t. But, alas, it just ain't so.

Sometimes I wonder. It seems like he is breathing thin air, IMO, that he was sucking "at altitude".

He has the technology to, (ostensibly), build a larger,meaner, less compromising "dildocket", than Bezos. But, even he lacks a gift of gab "potent" enough, to talk a government into funding a venture private enough to be categorized as a, "pissing contest", between himself, Jeff Bezos, and Sir Bleachblonde".

Apparently, yesterday, SpaceX fired up the "Super Heavy" booster. https://www.sciencetimes.com/articl...of-starships-planned-orbital-launch-watch.htm
IMO, SpaceX really ought to come up with better names for their "boosters". Maybe Musk thinks his is not big enough?

IMHO. he lacks the stones to get higher than he did on that blunt he smoked for the camera.. Well save for the potential intranasal ingestion of a bit of fuel in the form of Peruvian marching powder, which, (or which may not), give an added robustness to his exuberance when speaking in front of a camera.

I have to agree. So far, his bark seems far worse than his bite.

OK, I read that entire page. I even arttempted to decpher that algebra involved. First, I suck at math. "1- x = 8", I can solve algebraically... Anything beyond that, I forget the minute I walk out of a classroom. However, it is a lift, drag, velocity based formula, to determine what would be aerodynamically necessary to "fly" in atmosphere that thin.

Really, all one needs is the values of the variables in this case. Its not much different than plugging in how much you spent in your credit card register.

Given the sheer number of variables needed to be plugged in as possible coefficients, maybe "Watson" could deal with it for us..However the realities of building such a flying machine might prove insurmountable.

All the values of those variables can be found in reference publications, or on the internet.

Thus, the Karman line, is at once an incredibly precise, yet completely arbitrary point above earth.

Yes, even the wikipedia article states it is arbitrary and there also appears to be some disagreement about where, exactly, it is. Even Neil Degrasse-Tyson says the same thing. He even went to far as to say something along the lines of "Do we call someone walking around on a body in space that has no atmosphere, like the Moon, an astronaut?" Obviously, we can argue that one needs to be an astronaut to get to the moon in the first place, let alone walk around on it.

So, the Karmin line is the point where it is too low to achieve "stable orbit", and too high to fly in, aerodynamically.. (more or less).

All of which has had the old saw, "too old to rock n' roll, too young to die", "floating around", in my cranium all day..

I hate it when I get tunes stuck in my head.

 

[captaincranky]

I got your, j"just plug in the variables", right here;

NACA airfoil - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And that's just one coefficient of the formula.

If you look it up, you'll likely find there's more atmospheric pressure at the surface of mars, than there is at the Karman line.

Thus, you can just plug in coefficients until your eyes go crossed ,and at the end of the day, the thrust / speed required, the amount of wing area required, and the drag encountered, would likely render the technology required unavailable, and far too impractical to implement.

IMO, it's much easier to take your "dildocket", shoot it into orbit, and be done with it. Hm, come to think of it, that's exactly what we have been doing for the past 60 years.

Although this whole discussion does remind me of a sci-fi concept whereby you could put huge sails on a spacecraft, and "sail on solar winds".

As for Musk naming his rockets, I still think Rolls-Royce should sue him for pinching the name "Merlin", for his rocket motors.

It seems to me that the name of the engine that powered the Spitfire and the P-51 Mustang is well, sacred.

Along those same lines, I wish the US government would trademark the image of the Statue of Liberty, so I don't have to look at it, while those a**holes at Liberty Mutual Insurance sing, "liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty", on top of an electric yellow screen, with a graphic rendering of lady liberty in the background,

It's enough to make me want to spring for Netflix

That and the "LIMU emu", indicate to me, they need to find another ad agency.

As for the question of nomenclature, you're only a "space cadet", as long as you're still high.

 

[wiyosaya]

I got your, j"just plug in the variables", right here;

NACA airfoil - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And that's just one coefficient of the formula.

I would think that "de plane" manufacturer might be able to provide that coefficient for you.

If you look it up, you'll likely find there's more atmospheric pressure at the surface of mars, than there is at the Karman line.

That's why the wikipedia article stated that in that region L = mg

Thus, you can just plug in coefficients until your eyes go crossed ,and at the end of the day, the thrust / speed required, the amount of wing area required, and the drag encountered, would likely render the technology required unavailable, and far too impractical to implement.

IMO, it's much easier to take your "dildocket", shoot it into orbit, and be done with it. Hm, come to think of it, that's exactly what we have been doing for the past 60 years.

Then you have a rocket, not a plane, and rockets are generally not designed for atmospheric use. I know that the Saturn V had fins around it's tail. Those were likely for stability.

Although this whole discussion does remind me of a sci-fi concept whereby you could put huge sails on a spacecraft, and "sail on solar winds".

Well, there are those who have proposed using that concept for real - https://samueli.ucla.edu/reinventing-solar-sail-technology-to-push-space-exploration-boundaries/ and IIRC, there was an article here on TS a while back that covered the topic, too.

As for Musk naming his rockets, I still think Rolls-Royce should sue him for pinching the name "Merlin", for his rocket motors.

It seems to me that the name of the engine that powered the Spitfire and the P-51 Mustang is well, sacred.

Does Musk even have any respect for the sacred?

Along those same lines, I wish the US government would trademark the image of the Statue of Liberty, so I don't have to look at it,

That would probably start a trademark ownership war with France.

while those a**holes at Liberty Mutual Insurance sing, "liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty", on top of an electric yellow screen, with a graphic rendering of lady liberty in the background,

It's enough to make me want to spring for Netflix

You might enjoy it - either that or you need a commercial skipping DVR, or perhaps turn down the volume on the remote?

That and the "LIMU emu", indicate to me, they need to find another ad agency.

Well, geico has the gekko so I guess liberty mutual felt they needed a gimmick, too. IMO, geico commercials have not been any good since "weadababyeetsaboy".

As for the question of nomenclature, you're only a "space cadet", as long as you're still high.

Does that mean that Musk is constantly high?

Cheers!

 

[Danny101]

Some of the first pictures are in.