Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause

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Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 9:03:24 AM

TheHeretic

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       A few years back, I walked out into my front yard and stared up into the sky. This is a good place to do that. It's one of the few places in the world you'll see a stealth bomber or fighter and not need to kiss your ass goodbye. Sudden explosions that shake the earth beneath you and rattle the windows are common and draw no real notice (though it's fun to watch people who've never heard a sonic boom, before). You never know what you'll see.

     That day was a bit different. I was waiting to watch a tiny piece of history unfold. Finally, the contrail of the mothership appeared, then a second contrail, going up. Civilians had just launched a manned rocket into space for completely peaceful reasons. The technology is a radical departure from how man has gone into space before. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOne ) Things like this are among the reasons I consider capitalism the better system, but that is another topic entirely. I watched the landing on TV, and the felt the sonic boom when it came home.

    The explosion last week wasn't a sonic boom though. Something went wrong during a test, and three people died. I believe they died for something.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/198908.html

    Scoffers might be wondering by now where I get the "noble" in the thread title. "Tourism?" they might say. They might sneer that the people involved are just out to make money. I'd say, "so what?" Bold visionaries are trying to expand the limits of what humans can do, stretching for the great leap forward. If they have to get the money by offering the prospect of sex in zero-G, I'm ok with that. Human progress isn't cheap.

     Here's a link to the current project they were working on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipTwo.

      Voyages of discovery aren't going to be safe. I hope the guys who lost their lives are properly remembered.

        (and you thought this topic was going to be something else entirely, didn't you?)

< Message edited by TheHeretic -- 7/28/2007 9:35:29 AM >

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 11:47:01 AM

FullCircle

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Not much to see in space though and for zero G I can get in a broken elevator for that.

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 12:05:13 PM

TheHeretic

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And some people thought computers or cars or even electricity were useless extravagant novelties when they were in the early stages too.

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 12:09:46 PM

Sinergy

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I went to a talk given by Ray Bradbury about 10 years ago. He made a point I tend to agree with. Some things in life simply have to be done by people.

I applaud Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites for doing what they are doing, even if I dont really have much interest in going in to outer space.

My heart goes out to the families of the people who died in this tragedy. For Scaled Composite to give up on the dreams and not continue striving for what they are striving for nullifies the sacrifices of those who died.

Sinergy

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 12:09:51 PM

FullCircle

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I guess I’m just jealous I’d probably give it a go if it was a financial option for me. What you said about communism wasn’t entirely true because the soviets beat you in all but the race to the moon. I think a happy medium between communism and capitalism could have been found; one with an aspect of negative liberty to it maybe.

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 12:23:26 PM

TheHeretic

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        Those were massive government programs though, Full. This is the result of a truly brilliant visionary engineer (the same guy who built the plane that circled the globe on one tank of gas back in the 80's) with a couple incredibly wealthy eccentrics putting up the money.

      Free enterprise at it's finest.

     (And yeah, $200,000 isn't exactly something I'd be ready to spend on a day trip either.)


< Message edited by TheHeretic -- 7/28/2007 12:25:44 PM >

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 12:46:41 PM

TheHeretic

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sinergy

... to give up on the dreams and not continue striving for what they are striving for nullifies the sacrifices of those who died.

Sinergy

(This has to be a trap.)

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 1:04:35 PM

domiguy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sinergy

... to give up on the dreams and not continue striving for what they are striving for nullifies the sacrifices of those who died.

Sinergy

(This has to be a trap.)

Way toooo fucking funny!!!!

You know, it is sad about the tragedy that happened this last week in the desert....Wow...I can't believe that this is not about Iraq.....lol......

Anywhoo...It does capture the imagination and the perseverance of the human spirit...There is something that is oddly dare I say beautiful about the accident.....I'm sure it will not deter those from chasing their dreams.....Everyone who attempts a space launch has to have an idea of the risks involved....It simply goes to show of the courage and curiosity of us silly little humans....Though my heart goes out to those who were wounded and perished....they are but the latest of those explorers and visionaries who gladly paid the ultimate price in the chase of their dreams....And if there is not beauty and significance to the price they paid...Then it simply cannot be found.

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 4:23:54 PM

TheHeretic

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quote:

ORIGINAL: domiguy

....And if there is not beauty and significance to the price they paid...Then it simply cannot be found.

Nicely said, DG. .............

(see what happens when you start writing your reply when you read the thread title?)

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RE: Death in the Desert: A Noble Cause - 7/28/2007 5:37:39 PM

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And remember kids, handling pressurized gas cylinders is dangerous.

Safety. First. Last. Always.

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