In Pre-Commonwealth of Independent States Russia, ROCKET FIRES YOU!

Well thats what I get for trying to make a lame Yukov Smirnoff joke.

Damn! I was hoping it could be salvaged!

All human effort regardless as to its National origin to explore the Solar system should be supported and applauded.



Can any other country supply support?

ritalinchild 54: Damn! I was hoping it could be salvaged!

All human effort regardless as to its National origin to explore the Solar system should be supported and applauded.



Can any other country supply support?

Sure. I'll get right on it. But first, can you finish up this remodel design project for me? I need it done by the end of the day.

In other words, no. Probably not very much. But I agree with you.

How in the hell is that Japan has not tapped that sweet Martian ass yet?

sxacho: ritalinchild 54: Damn! I was hoping it could be salvaged!

All human effort regardless as to its National origin to explore the Solar system should be supported and applauded.



Can any other country supply support?

Sure. I'll get right on it. But first, can you finish up this remodel design project for me? I need it done by the end of the day.

In other words, no. Probably not very much. But I agree with you.

In my "pollyannish" view of the world "as it should be in reference to space exploration" I wish there was a way for the "scientists and engineers" to help out.



I am a bit older than the regulars on this site. (the 54 in screen name refers to birth date). I grew up watching Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

I would love to see this vehicle magically re-boot and then "fly".

i can't imagine the designers of this projects feelings.

Evil Kirk vs Bad Ash: How in the hell is that Japan has not tapped that sweet Martian ass yet?

Russia has had a very bad run with Mars.

Link (new window)

2wolves: Evil Kirk vs Bad Ash: How in the hell is that Japan has not tapped that sweet Martian ass yet?

No tentacles on Mars.

That we know of. The first step to finding alien tentacle rape monsters is that we have to go to other planets. It's not like the Japanese to sit around and assume the alien tentacle rape monsters will come to them.

ritalinchild 54: i can't imagine the designers of this projects feelings.

After the Russian Government is done with them for wasting 100 million... probably not very much due to that hole in their heads.

Mars HATES Russia.

But maybe it's more accurate to say Mars hates any program that pinches pennies on the construction and quality assurance, a problem that has been in the news there recently with Soyuz. The first idea was that the problem was a computer error, but now the consensus seems to be a hardware fault.

There was a Chinese sat hitching a ride on this bird, supposed to go into Martian orbit. I wonder if they could remotely trigger it to try to deploy and thus blow up the vehicle just before it starts to re-enter.

It would make an awesome movie for one of the Soyuz's on the ISS to undock, chase the bird down, and try some EVA work on it, all before it burns up. But the orbital mechanics alone make it impossible.

Okay, time to get Steve Austin, he 6 million dollar man, out of retirement.... (not obscure on Venus)

Oh, a Christmas present for earth Russia? You shouldn't have, you really really shouldn't have!

ritalinchild 54: Can any other country supply support?

No, from schematics posted on the internet, the system to allow communications with the satellite won't come on until the first stage separates and the seconds stage fires. The first stage is still on it and the second stage won't fire.

ritalinchild 54: Damn! I was hoping it could be salvaged!

All human effort regardless as to its National origin to explore the Solar system should be supported and applauded.



Can any other country supply support?



Would've, but someone trashed his ride.

Evil Kirk vs Bad Ash: How in the hell is that Japan has not tapped that sweet Martian ass yet?

Exploration outside of earth orbit is extremely complex/hard to do. Only Russia, Japan, the United States, and the European Space Agency have done it. Now, landing on another planet that's even harder. Only Russia and the US have done so. With Russia only being able to do so for 30 seconds or so, so not exactly a successful mission but at least they landed on Mars without crashing like the UK's Beagle. The US meanwhile has done it 6 times successfully, hopefully Curiosity is number 7 next year.

As for Japan, their last Mars mission was a failure back in 1998 after their semi-successful mission to the moon in 1990. No doubt, the lack of great success from Hiten or the mars orbiter Nozomi was a major blow to the Japanese space agency. Still they pressed on and launched the successful Hayabusa (Muses-C) in 2003 and then the also successful Kaguya (SELENE) in 2007. Only to fail to get its Venus probe Akatsuki/Planet-C into orbit last year.

So Japan's score for exploration outside of earth. 5/7

As for Russia, Phobos-Grunt isn't just a failure its potentially the death of Russian space exploration before its even restarted. After all, the last object the Russians have put outside of Earth's orbit successfully was the not very successful Phobos 2 mission. Hey, at least it made it to mars eh? Was in the process of approaching Phobos to land a hopper on the Mars moon, they lost contact with it after that.

Which makes you wonder why the Russians don't just give up on Phobos, I mean three unsuccessful missions means its time to give up. Also, it'll be interesting to see if the Chinese give up on the Russians and launch their next Mars orbiter themselves.

"experts like James Oberg, a NASA veteran who now works as a space consultant, think the fuel could freeze, surviving the fiery re-entry and causing an environmental disaster on impact."

...and some 'experts' talk cr@p.

The chances of hydrazine failing to react while plummeting through the atmosphere must be... erm... astronomically small?

opiumpoopy: "experts like James Oberg, a NASA veteran who now works as a space consultant, think the fuel could freeze, surviving the fiery re-entry and causing an environmental disaster on impact."

...and some 'experts' talk cr@p.

The chances of hydrazine failing to react while plummeting through the atmosphere must be... erm... astronomically small?

Eh, I take it you haven't heard of James Oberg before. He's a highly respected space consultant, if he says its possible I wouldn't doubt him. Still, is a Daily Mail article and I can't seem to find Oberg saying so anywhere else... so... eh... Could be the Mail just doing what they do best, selling papers however they can truth be damned.

Wouldn't a rebooting of the warp coil matrix cause the engines to restart?

It's time for private enterprise to take over space exploration.

BarbadoSlim: Wouldn't a rebooting of the warp coil matrix cause the engines to restart?

No. The possible inverse tachyon flux would cause a devastating explosion.

Uh-oh.

Awaiting reentry

Improvious: get out of my head!

superchump: BarbadoSlim: Wouldn't a rebooting of the warp coil matrix cause the engines to restart?

No. The possible inverse tachyon flux would cause a devastating explosion.

but if you negatize the polarons, the resulting quantum chromodynamic flux might help us keep it stable just long enough to save that satellite!

Knight of the Woeful Countenance: superchump: BarbadoSlim: Wouldn't a rebooting of the warp coil matrix cause the engines to restart?

No. The possible inverse tachyon flux would cause a devastating explosion.

but if you negatize the polarons, the resulting quantum chromodynamic flux might help us keep it stable just long enough to save that satellite!

Some days I wish that Fark had a like button, but then I would start to hate it like Crackbook. =)

Knight of the Woeful Countenance: superchump: BarbadoSlim: Wouldn't a rebooting of the warp coil matrix cause the engines to restart?

No. The possible inverse tachyon flux would cause a devastating explosion.

but if you negatize the polarons, the resulting quantum chromodynamic flux might help us keep it stable just long enough to save that satellite!

MAKE IT SO!

beta_plus: It's time for private enterprise to take over space exploration.

but only if they get billion$ in tax breaks and grants.

/yeah free market!

Well that sucks. And we have to rely on these guys to put people in space now? Great just great.

wickedworld: Well that sucks. And we have to rely on these guys to put people in space now? Great just great.

Don't worry, they've only failed one Soyuz launch this year! I have it on good authority from the Russians that as long as there aren't any women on board it'll flight alright! Also, they are going to make extra sure to poor vodka around the launch pad for good luck!

Gee. If only someone had a spacecraft capable of hauling equipment and personnel capable of performing on-orbit repairs of satellites. Nah. That's just silly science-fiction stuff. It'll never happen.

Actually, the Russians have an add-on module designed for their Soyuz, a collar-like unit with tanks and thrusters that effectively extends the maneuverability and range in orbit, makes it kind of a part-time space tug. Theoretically I suppose this thing could be launched and attached to Phobos-Grunt, but there's no time. They will just have to let it fall, or maybe shoot it down, if the orbit looks like it will drop it over a large populated area.

Retrieval by X37?

Invincible: Retrieval by X37?

The X-37 has TARDIS tech? Cool!

Hydrazine is the typical fuel in a lot of rockets. I can't recall a story about the fuel from failed rockets poisoning anybody. Google can't seem to find any either. I'm just not worried about this. The metal parts may survive re-entry but the fuel, which spontaneously reacts with the oxidizer, no spark needed, is not going to come down a hundred miles without going pooft. I'm hoping for a bang big enough to be seen naked eye.

Can't they just destroy it with a kinetic projectile like what we did with one of our own satellites for the same reason of toxic fuel being a potential hazard?

rhinoguy: I can't recall a story about the fuel from failed rockets poisoning anybody.

The tanks are pretty well built and could probably project an ice ball of fuel that then sublimates or explodes on impact.
Its just that its unlikely to happen near a human because the planet is a big and we only inhabit a tiny fraction of it.

The bigger deal with hitting something in orbit is so you can predict where it will crash.
Drop it in the Pacific or Canada and there's less of a problem than it it fell somewhere more popular.

Invincible: Retrieval by X37?

Too large.
X37C cargo variant, maybe... but that's a year or two away even if Boeing green lights the project.

/Which it wont because of the CCP and its CST100 entry.
/Why build the future when there's taxpayer funds to milk?

Sounds like a job for Andy Griffith.

Hydrazine will fark your shiat up if you breathe or handle it.

Any Pie Left: Actually, the Russians have an add-on module designed for their Soyuz, a collar-like unit with tanks and thrusters that effectively extends the maneuverability and range in orbit, makes it kind of a part-time space tug. Theoretically I suppose this thing could be launched and attached to Phobos-Grunt, but there's no time. They will just have to let it fall, or maybe shoot it down, if the orbit looks like it will drop it over a large populated area.

This is why I never got the hatred for a missile shield. It's one of the military projects that actually has a lot of peacetime applications. Perfect for knocking things like Phobos-Gunt down. Ensuring it comes down in smaller pieces that burn up. A supersized version could be useful for that whole asteroid doomsday scenario. If it does ICBMs on the side that's just an awesome bonus.

/next nuke likely won't be delivered via ICBM anyway

bbfreak: Exploration outside of earth orbit is extremely complex/hard to do. Only Russia, Japan, the United States, and the European Space Agency have done it. Now, landing on another planet that's even harder. Only Russia and the US have done so. With Russia only being able to do so for 30 seconds or so, so not exactly a successful mission but at least they landed on Mars without crashing like the UK's Beagle. The US meanwhile has done it 6 times successfully, hopefully Curiosity is number 7 next year.

2 things.

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter
2) Venera probes. (first man-made devices to enter the atmosphere of another planet, to make a soft landing on another planet & to return images from the planetary surface). Mars isn't the only planet out there.