European Space Agency's Philae probe

[Sergeant Bob]

I am seriously geeking out over this milestone in space exploration. This probe ( flew a total of (IIRC) 1.4 BILLION miles, (slingshotting around several planets) to maneuver and gain velocity, to rendezvous with the comet Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The logistics of this feat is just amazing! The comet (which was IIRC, 800 million miles from earth) was intercepted after a 1.4 billion mile flight to intercept.

I think this is on par with the moon landings! I can't wait for the results found by the probe!

[RoadKingLarry]

It will remain to be seen how much of even the small change in it's orbit imparted by the impact of the lander affects it or it over the long haul.
Hubris I tell you! They're  gonna knock the damn thing into a new orbit and smack the earth with the bloody thing.




Actually I'd rate it just one or two super geek point just below the last Mars rover landing..

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I don't know if my kids even know it happened


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[French G.]

And one of the most complex science missions ever is about to fail because the solar panels can't re-charge the batteries? Nothing like not building it with an RTG onboard. If they lose the probe over a battery they ought to shove a greenie into a volcano or something as a sacrifice.

[makattak]

I'm sorry, but this event is CLEARLY overshadowed by the proof that science is sexist:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/comet-scientist-offers-tearful-apology-after-the-internet-is-offended-by-his-shirt/article/2556184?custom_click=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Who cares about human accomplishments if a guy who did (part of) it has a (to some) character flaw!

[Ben]

If they lose the probe over a battery they ought to shove a greenie into a volcano or something as a sacrifice.

I'd be interested to hear if "going green" was the reason. I was only casually familiar with the concept of RTGs until I read up on them after your post. "OMG nuclear!" would simply be sad.

[Ben]

I'm sorry, but this event is CLEARLY overshadowed by the proof that science is sexist:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/comet-scientist-offers-tearful-apology-after-the-internet-is-offended-by-his-shirt/article/2556184?custom_click=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Who cares about human accomplishments if a guy who did (part of) it has a (to some) character flaw!

Yeah, that was ridiculous. I'm not sure if I'm more irritated at the feminazis, or the dude breaking down into tears during his apology.

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm sorry, but this event is CLEARLY overshadowed by the proof that science is sexist:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/comet-scientist-offers-tearful-apology-after-the-internet-is-offended-by-his-shirt/article/2556184?custom_click=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Who cares about human accomplishments if a guy who did (part of) it has a (to some) character flaw!

I.
Want.
That.
Shirt!

[Scout26]

Based on the news hype, I thought it had landed some Kardashian's butt....

[Perd Hapley]

Based on the news hype, I thought it had landed some Kardashian's butt....

Yeah, but who hasn't?

I mean, who that is black hasn't?

[Viking]

He made a mistake by apologizing. Never admit to any kind of wrongdoing in front of SJWs. Ever.

[Hawkmoon]

He made a mistake by apologizing. Never admit to any kind of wrongdoing in front of SJWs. Ever.

"SJW"?

Whut dat?

[Marnoot]

"SJW"?

Whut dat?

Social Justice Warrior

[BobR]

I.
Want.
That.
Shirt!

So do many other people from the looks of things. It was made for him by a friend. Maybe she will sell the pattern to a shirt company, it would make a great Hawaiian shirt.

bob

[230RN]

Wait a minute.  It was a "she" who designed the shirt in the first place?

Ummmm.....

[French G.]

Wait a minute.  It was a "she" who designed the shirt in the first place?

Ummmm.....

It's cool, it was her repression by the patriarchy that caused her to act out.

[BobR]

I hope all of the publicity doesn't make her want to escape to the convent for a few years!!!  



https://www.facebook.com/ellyprizeman?fref=ts



Nah, I don't see that happening. Supposedly a lot of "actors" and others have been tweeting her about the shirt and how to get one. I hope her 15 minutes of fame is good to her.

It is also very sad that when humanity has just landed a probe onto a comet hurtling through space people want to focus instead on a shirt one of the engineers was wearing. WTF is wrong with people?

bob

[230RN]

BobR spake thusly:

It is also very sad that when humanity has just landed a probe onto a comet hurtling through space people want to focus instead on a shirt one of the engineers was wearing. WTF is wrong with people?

BobR spake truly.

[Hawkmoon]

It is also very sad that when humanity has just landed a probe onto a comet hurtling through space people want to focus instead on a shirt one of the engineers was wearing. WTF is wrong with people?

But the Philae lander ended up in the wrong place, and as of Saturday morning it was basically dead. This is obviously "cosmic" retribution for the wayward engineer's misogynistic choice of wardrobe

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Decent piece
https://witchesbrewpress.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/in-defense-of-dr-matt-taylor-an-editorial/


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[Hawkmoon]

Decent piece
https://witchesbrewpress.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/in-defense-of-dr-matt-taylor-an-editorial/

And written by a woman (not a "womyn").

Burn her at the stake. She must be a heretic.

[French G.]

And the probe shut down. I've seen on press release from the 90's where ESA stated that RTG tech was not available to them. Which is horsecrap, the will to have the tech is the problem. You've got member states of the EU with nuke subs and nuke weapons you've got the much simpler tech for an RTG. I've seen some discussion that an RTG was too heavy. Yes, a big one. Smaller ones have been made that were 1-2 kg heavier than the battery system on the probe. So far I've come across no technical reason that the probe could not have been designed around RTG power from the start. Really sad.

[230RN]

^ "So far I've come across no technical reason that the probe could not have been designed around RTG power from the start."

If I recall, the Chernobyl and Challenger disasters were still fairly fresh in the public's mind and "Nuke=Bad" was still the mindset.   What if this here now nooculier stuff blew up on the launch pad or in the atmosphere and contaminated all of Gaia with that there polonutonium 295 stuff, hey?  What about that?

May have been a factor in the decision, given the tenor of the times.

I was really disappointed that this turned out the way it did, but we've had failures before.  I am amazed that we could plunk something down on a comet (like the Deep Impact project) in the first place.  

All I can say is what my Pop used to say when something went cattywumpus:  "Well, you can't lose 'em all."

Terry
REF:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/07/04/deep.impact/index.html?_s=pm:tech

[BobR]

IIRC the Cassini probe is carrying 3 RTGs and it has been working just fine going into year ten of its four year mission. Also, I remember a whole lot of hand wringing and woe is humanity from the greenies when Cassini was going to be launched. Of course, it may have been because of the weight of the plutonium it was carrying, which was substantial.

bob

[lee n. field]

I.
Want.
That.
Shirt!

Close enough?

http://www.alohaland.com/pinup-girls-guys/red-galactic-gals