Comments on: ISSing me off

By: The Bad Astronomer

The Bad Astronomer — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:08:30 +0000

The story is “Pi in the Sky” by Fredric Brown, one of my all-time favorite authors.

He wrote the short story “Arena” which has been made into a zillion science fiction shows (including an original Trek). “What Mad Universe” is a fun book, and his hard-bitten 1940s detective novels are a lot of fun.

By: DennyMo

DennyMo — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:55:52 +0000

Elwood Herring Said:
“There was another SF short story I read a long time ago (canâ€™t remember who wrote it) about a worldwide panic when scientists start noticing that certain stars were moving in unpredictable directions. Eventually fter a day or two they all coalesced into the Coca-Cola logo (itâ€™s always them, isnâ€™t it?), and the stunt turned out to be some kind of trick with mirrors. Some trick! ”

I was thinking of this same story, too. But for some reason, I thought the product they were hawking turned out to be laundry soap.

By: Irishman

Irishman — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 20:41:40 +0000

I think you are right, escept that drag is going to affect the ball’s orbit, and if it has low mass and high cross section, drag will work better than high mass low cross section. Or more accurately, the same cross-section with a lower mass.

I think they are counting on drag causing enough delta-V that the ball never intersects the ISS again. Plus the ISS can maneuver/reboost. (Don’t know if it did.)

I just hope it’s gone by Dec 7 (when the Shuttle goes up again).

By: Ezelite

Ezelite — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:57:40 +0000

The delta V imparted to the ball would not be sufficient to change the orbit that much. It already has a velocity of about 7.5 kps, so if it was hit off the back of the station (retrograde) then it would just have a slightly more eliptical orbit, eventually meeting the station again after several orbits. It wouldnt hit any other satellites unless they were in almost the same orbit. For the ball to re-enter, I believe that it would have to be hit with enough force to change its velocity by about 500-1000m/s. Thats one hell of a drive. I may be wrong though, Ive crashed my fair share of spacecraft in the Orbiter simulator…

By: icemith

icemith — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 15:41:49 +0000

For *that* golf shot, I’m surprised that it isn’t available on YouTube yet. Hasn’t anybody got any friends or relations in NASA, or the Russian Space Academy or even the Stupid Golf Company, that must have comfirmatory visual evidence?

I’m waiting.

Ivan. (Go cricket – 1 down, 4 to go),(I couldn’t resist either).

By: Stevo meaculpa

Stevo meaculpa — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 12:58:49 +0000

D’oh! Mea culpa: I should’ve read the links posted from the top of this page first .. :

For the record & the lazy here’s the BA’s comments cut’n'pasted over. (Hope that’s okay netiquette ~wise)

The Bad Astronomer Says: March 6th, 2006 at 7:57 pm

Bad Albert, no, this is totally different. For one, Shephard knew he couldnâ€™t hit the ball very far. It only went a few yards. Second, he was away from equipment and aimed the ball away from the LM and equipment. There was no possible way he could have damaged the LM.

On the ISS itâ€™s totally different. In orbit, the ball will continue to move, while on the Moon the gravity and friction stopped the ball. Also, the ball will go into a separate orbit, which can intersect some other satellite or even the Shuttle.

——————————-

My response to that? ..Well Shepherd’s stunt still strikes me as being almost as unnecessary and has a not inconsiderable element of needless risk* plus I think they did sorta work out in advance what direction they were hitting the golf ball and they’ seem to have worked out that it will lose enegy and reenter the atmosphere burning up later

.. Still I see your point(s)..

* Eg. what if it had somehow richotted back on him or skewed off and hit the LEM or the other astronaut? What if he’d fallen over trying it and cracked his visor with his club? etc..)

What we really need is a proper lunar sports facility (pref. a cricket oval but more likely a soccer [football] stadium ..) or same in Low Earth orbit or space generally specially constructed to allow this sort of low-grav fun in safe(r) confines.

BTW. How do we know that the suggestion someone made didn’t actually happen here – that the golf shot was faked and we were only told that it happened in reality rather than sim /CGI??? If everyone is sworn to secrecy and the money was paid for, well not exactly nothing but something a lot safer than the alternative, could the stunt all be a white lie?

Finally, one good reason all space exploration & sports fans should seek a Lunar cricket match – it’ll needs at least 24 people up there – 11 per team and (at least) two umpires!

By: Elwood Herring

Elwood Herring — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 12:47:08 +0000

Buy Jupiter – I’d forgotten all about that story (and I’m a long-time Asimov fan too!)

Yes, no doubt we’ll be seeing the advertising men in space before too long, boldly billboarding where no billboarder has billboarded before (or something along those lines).

To paraphrase Ogden Nash (who in turn paraphrased some other obscure poet):

I still can’t see as I gaze afar,
A billboard lovely as a star.
Indeed now that the billboards reign
I’ll never see a star again!
(Â© 2006 Elwood Herring)