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Space Travel
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: susiebk on February 17, 2008, 08:56:18 pm ---
I was in the Mojave Desert to watch the two successful flights of Space Ship One and the winning of the X Prize. Space Ship Two is well on its way. In 2009 or shortly thereafter, anyone with the money will be able to purchase a ticket for about $200,000 to take a suborbital flight. It is a lot, but sure beats the $20 Million each paid by five individuals to visit the International Space Station on the Russian Soyuz. Branson and company expect to eventually drop the price to about $30,000 a seat.
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This makes me remember something else I heard Richard Branson say. He said he was working on an airplane which would jump UP very fast and into space (or near space) and then fall back to earth very quickly. While this may sound silly, he said this type of technology would reduce a normal 18 hour flight from the US to Australia, down to 1 or 2 hours. Because instead of circling the earth like an airplane does, this aircraft would jump up from the US from example, and fall down and land in Australia. I don't understand it really, but I remember Richard talking about it and it was very interesting. :)
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: susiebk on February 17, 2008, 09:31:39 pm ---I am familiar with this, although I have not heard Branson speak about it specifically. The idea is that an aircraft would actually leave the atmosphere (suborbitally) and so be able to fly very high and fast, with little resistance, and indeed travel from Point A to Point B across the world in an hour or two. This is similar to how the Concorde flew so fast (3 hours from NY to London). It flew at 60,000 feet, at Mach 2.
Having spent way too many hours on commercial airliners, suborbital point to point travel is near and dear to my heart. It is a natural progression from the Virgin Galactic space tourism flights. It is a sad state of affairs indeed that the world retired its last supersonic commercial aircraft (the Concorde) a few years back. I am hopeful of a replacement on the horizon.
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I believe I heard Richard Branson talking about in on Larry King one night. At least I THINK it was Larry King. :-\
Anway, it seems they will be unveiling some new technology very soon. Richard Branson is encouraged, so that in itself encourages me. :)
Welcome to Bettermost Susiebk!! :D
brokeplex:
--- Quote from: Lynne on February 17, 2008, 09:10:06 pm ---Sorry, Brokeplex, but I think that the matter/energy transporters are much closer to reality than my beloved warp-drive fantasy. I read an article awhile back - I'll look for the reference - claiming that scientists had 'transported' an atom or particle or something from point A to point B. The upshot was that no physical movement took place, but the properties of the particle (spin, etc...) were conveyed from a particle at point A to the one at B...a small step to be sure, but if we're all just made up of particles... :-\
PS. My geeky self spent a precious day off yesterday watching the season of Firefly from start to finish...highly recommended for sci-fi and/or Joss Whedon fans. The movie SERENITY is next on that list, after I rally myself to watch TWO HANDS
And 'Amen' to the backup world plan too... ;)
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good point about the transferabilty of "spin", I read a similar science news report a few years back. it seemed to me at the time that this was an excellent illustration of the old quantum paradox of not being able to measure a subatomic particle without affecting the nature of the subatomic particle, those scientists actually measured the effect that they were having on the subatomic particle. but, can we actually transport Schroederinger's cat from my house to yours, if so, I will be happy to send you my longhaired Siamese tonight, he is going thru a howling juvenile puberty phase, complete with yet again trying to walk on my keyboard while I am attempting to post.
Firefly is really great, glad you like Sci-fi, I am attending one of DFW's scifi cons this coming weekend and hope to buy some great posters.
Artiste:
So found to-night from a space astronaut that when they are in space, that their bones deteriate!!
Maybe even for life even when returned on Earth!
Much needs to be done... yet!
Did you know?
Hugs!!
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: Artiste on February 17, 2008, 11:12:32 pm ---So found to-night from a space astronaut that when they are in space, that their bones deteriate!!
Maybe even for life even when returned on Earth!
Much needs to be done... yet!
Did you know?
Hugs!!
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I think I've heard about that too Artiste. Apparently there are several adverse affects to living in space. But isn't this one of the reasons they are building the International Space Station? So they can work out some of these problems for the future space flights?
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