Farmer Crack-rear end posted:

as for spacex, i've got no particular love for musk, but at least they're doing something marginally useful compared to loving Virgin Galactic.


has spacex even killed anyone yet?

quote:

The tech billionaire Elon Musk sent one of his Tesla electric cars into space yesterday, a day before the company that built it announced its biggest ever quarterly loss.

Musk’s Tesla electric car and energy storage company lost $675.4m in the three months ending 31 December, the company announced on Thursday, compared with a loss of $121m for the same period last year.

quote:

On a call with analysts Musk said production was getting back on track. “If we can send a Roadster to the asteroid belt we can probably solve Model 3 production,” he said.

mrmcd posted:

Why don't you just put the rocket on a plane and launch it from the sky? Then you're already way close to space. I don't know why people say these NASA guys are so smart if they haven't thought of this yet.

quote:

Tesla stock, which has risen over the last year from $257 a share to as high as $383, rose $11.03, or 3.3%, to $345 on Wednesday. The stock rose slightly in after-hours trading following the earnings release.

"This was yet another awful quarter from Tesla," said analyst Mark B. Spiegel of Stanphyl Capital, expressing concern that the company's revenue is too dependent on non-sustainable ZEV credits, and on vehicle production and delivery rates that leave it vulnerable to competition from other car companies. "Tesla lost more money this quarter than any time in its history."

Dodoman posted:

fishmech posted:

the sr-71 was explicitly designed to reduce radar cross-section, why would they have not thought about it???

like that was the whole point of the project, build plane that go fast and hard to detect because they identified that the problem with the u2 was not enough fast and not enough hard to detect

Sagebrush posted:

the sr-71 was never hard to detect and everyone on all sides knew it. the three main things people talk about as reducing the plane's rcs (the iron-bearing paint, the chines, and the canted tails) were implemented for heat management, mach-tuck prevention and high-alpha (landing) performance, and increased yaw control, respectively. none of those were intentionally implemented to try and reduce RCS because the plane is spewing a mile-long trail of disturbed heated air that, at 80,000 feet, shows up like a searchlight on a radar scope.

the main reason the sr-71 could escape radar locks is because the systems in use through the early 1970s weren't able to acquire, track, and engage a target moving as quickly as the sr-71 before it went out of range.

but please pull more stuff from whatever is the first google result that supports your beliefs

Schadenboner posted:

Im the mach-tuck prevention.

quote:

There were a lot of things we couldn't do in an SR-71, but we were the fastest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the jet. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Intense, maybe. Even cerebral. But there was one day in our Sled experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be the fastest guys out there, at least for a moment.

It occurred when Walt and I were flying our final training sortie. We needed 100 hours in the jet to complete our training and attain Mission Ready status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the century mark. We had made the turn in Arizona and the jet was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the front seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because we would soon be flying real missions but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Ripping across the barren deserts 80,000 feet below us, I could already see the coast of California from the Arizona border. I was, finally, after many humbling months of simulators and study, ahead of the jet.

I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Walter in the back seat. There he was, with no really good view of the incredible sights before us, tasked with monitoring four different radios. This was good practice for him for when we began flying real missions, when a priority transmission from headquarters could be vital. It had been difficult, too, for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my entire flying career I had controlled my own transmissions. But it was part of the division of duties in this plane and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. Walt was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding smooth on the radios, a skill that had been honed sharply with years in fighter squadrons where the slightest radio miscue was grounds for beheading. He understood that and allowed me that luxury.

Just to get a sense of what Walt had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Los Angeles Center, far below us, controlling daily traffic in their sector. While they had us on their scope (albeit briefly), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to descend into their airspace.

We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied: "November Charlie 175, I'm showing you at ninety knots on the ground."

Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the " Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that, and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios.

Just moments after the Cessna's inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. "I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed." Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren. Then out of the blue, a navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios. "Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check". Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol' Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: "Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground."

And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that Walt was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere seconds we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Hornet must die, and die now. I thought about all of our Sim training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn.

Somewhere, 13 miles above Arizona, there was a pilot screaming inside his space helmet. Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the back seat. That was the very moment that I knew Walter and I had become a crew. Very professionally, and with no emotion, Walter spoke: "Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. "Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground."

I think it was the forty-two knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that Walt and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most fighter-pilot-like voice: "Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to nineteen hundred on the money."

For a moment Walter was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when L.A.came back with, "Roger that Aspen, Your equipment is probably more accurate than ours. You boys have a good one."

It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable sprint across the southwest, the Navy had been flamed, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Speed, and more importantly, Walter and I had crossed the threshold of being a crew. A fine day's work. We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.

For just one day, it truly was fun being the fastest guys out there.

Bhodi posted:

best sr-71 story linked a few pages ago but im inlining it so if someone didnt click here it is


basically the entire aerospace industry is a dick measuring contest

Sagebrush posted:

the sr-71 was never hard to detect and everyone on all sides knew it. the three main things people talk about as reducing the plane's rcs (the iron-bearing paint, the chines, and the canted tails) were implemented for heat management, mach-tuck prevention and high-alpha (landing) performance, and increased yaw control, respectively. none of those were intentionally implemented to try and reduce RCS because the plane is spewing a mile-long trail of disturbed heated air that, at 80,000 feet, shows up like a searchlight on a radar scope.

the main reason the sr-71 could escape radar locks is because the systems in use through the early 1970s weren't able to acquire, track, and engage a target moving as quickly as the sr-71 before it went out of range.

but please pull more stuff from whatever is the first google result that supports your beliefs

NyetscapeNavigator posted:

ate all the Oreos posted:

yes but you generally vent the fuel rather than burning to exhaustion, engines tend to be really unpredictable when you can't control the mix and can do all sorts of fun things ranging from "wildly fluctuating thrust" to "oscillations leading to exploding"

e: like i said though you might be right, it's possible they did it intentionally this time just because there's no actual payload, but generally if that happens during an actual mission you get internal hearings and investigations and launch delays while people figure out what went wrong

Sagebrush posted:

the main reason the sr-71 could escape radar locks is because the systems in use through the early 1970s weren't able to acquire, track, and engage a target moving as quickly as the sr-71 before it went out of range.

Jabor posted:

anyone know where to buy 5-year out-of-the-money puts?

JawnV6 posted:

my dad was in aerospace for a stint and has a giant photo with a SR-71 in the foreground, way in the back you can see MIGs turning around

Sagebrush posted:

The F-117's stealth features were based on a theory of electromagnetic wave propagation published by a Russian mathematician in the 1970s. You imbecile. You loving moron

Elder Postsman posted:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(rocket)

ate all the Oreos posted:

im almost certain

Xaris posted:

Josephine, the home-cooked meal startup where you can buy homecooked meals from local neighbors closed up late last week. http://www.berkeleyside.com/2018/02/02/josephine-announces-it-will-close/

most startups are bad, but it seemed like a generally fine idea, especially those with bigger families already making bulk food it's fairly trivial to make some more (tamale ladies). at least one good thing coming out of it is still a bill to allow selling of microkitchen food that will probably pass the ca state (already passed assembly).

Xaris posted:

Josephine, the home-cooked meal startup where you can buy homecooked meals from local neighbors closed up late last week. http://www.berkeleyside.com/2018/02/02/josephine-announces-it-will-close/

most startups are bad, but it seemed like a generally fine idea, especially those with bigger families already making bulk food it's fairly trivial to make some more (tamale ladies). at least one good thing coming out of it is still a bill to allow selling of microkitchen food that will probably pass the ca state (already passed assembly).

haveblue posted:

despite the dick waving in the aerospace industry and this thread, the sr-71 was consistently tracked and locked onto by radars and fighters operated by sweden of all places

there's an sr-71 (actually an a-12) at the intrepid, it's just as cool as you think up close

ate all the Oreos posted:

im almost certain

bob dobbs is dead posted:

h e a l t h i n s p e c t o r s

they aren't there for no reason yknow

The Leck posted:

“food isn’t always great at restaurants, so health inspections are bullshit regulations strangling small business”

Sagebrush posted:

The F-117's stealth features were based on a theory of electromagnetic wave propagation published by a Russian mathematician in the 1970s. You imbecile. You loving moron

The Leck posted:

i was just talking about this startup with coworkers last week, and the general consensus was “food isn’t always great at restaurants, so health inspections are bullshit regulations strangling small business”

mrmcd posted:

Yeah, my understanding is that the reason every rocket isn't launched from a plane is it doesn't help you much, because getting enough dV to achieve orbit is the hard part. So now you have to figure out how to get enough fuel to reach orbit into a much smaller and more complicated machine that's attached to the bottom of a plane. A plane flown by humans who don't appreciate being exploded when something goes wrong.

fishmech posted:

doesn't seem to have helped