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Old 28-02-2008, 17:40
ChristineCagney
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Buzz.

Also Lovell, Conrad, Barbara Morgan and although she never made it into space - Christa McAuliffe.
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Old 28-02-2008, 19:12
Ricardodaforce
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Buzz.

Also Lovell, Conrad, Barbara Morgan and although she never made it into space - Christa McAuliffe.
Pete Conrad was supposed to be the big personality of the Apollo era wasn't he.
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Old 28-02-2008, 20:36
Ricardodaforce
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I think that putting a Chinese astronaut in orbit was more of a technical demonstration than a regular plan. The next stage for the Chinese is to improve its range of orbital satellites and then to send probes to the moon. China seems really keen on getting to the moon (probably in part for that Fusion reactor material Helium 3).

That's triggered the Americans ambition to go back to the moon. Us Europeans are sending probes and of course there is the privately run Google Lunar X Prize competition, which will lead to even more lunar probes. I think the first permanent lunar base is not far away now!

But back to China. At the moment, their space programme seems a bit of a closed shop but the huge costs involved in permanent space stations, moon bases and missions to Mars and the asteroids and beyond will require multinational funding and that means opening up its science and technology programmes to the rest of the world and working with the rest of the world.
Are there no scheduled manned flights?
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Old 28-02-2008, 20:39
Mandark
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Mike Mullane shuttle astronaut and author of Riding Rockets. Worth a read to get an insider's view on the shuttle generation.
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Old 28-02-2008, 20:56
Ricardodaforce
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Mike Mullane shuttle astronaut and author of Riding Rockets. Worth a read to get an insider's view on the shuttle generation.
Yep read it. All I can remember about it was how much he had the horn for Judy Resnik and how inept John Young was at running the astronaut office!
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Old 28-02-2008, 21:01
ChristineCagney
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Pete Conrad was supposed to be the big personality of the Apollo era wasn't he.
Yeah he was! A real character, the third man to walk on the moon. His words when he stepped onto the Moon...

Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me.
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Old 28-02-2008, 21:12
Ricardodaforce
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Yeah he was! A real character, the third man to walk on the moon. His words when he stepped onto the Moon...


Excellent
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Old 28-02-2008, 23:51
Mandark
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Are there no scheduled manned flights?
I don't think there's a strict timetable so that's why it's all gone quiet. I think the next Chinese manned mission is years away.
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Old 29-02-2008, 00:17
ElMarko
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Can I third the love for Mike Mullane?

Riding Rockets is a truely awesome book. I recommend it to everyone reading this thread. It's hilarious and brutally honest.
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Old 29-02-2008, 18:10
Mandark
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What do people think about Britain entering the manned space programme? A chance for some of the younger folk here to get into space without paying!

I agree with the government that space related science and technologies could prove invaluable for those companies that take part in them so let's get our own more involved.
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Old 29-02-2008, 23:28
revolver44
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Anyone use the "Astronomy picture of the day" site? I've had some amazing pics from there.
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Old 01-03-2008, 01:27
HenryGarten
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Anyone use the "Astronomy picture of the day" site? I've had some amazing pics from there.
Yes I have been looking at it for a number of years.
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Old 01-03-2008, 01:29
HenryGarten
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Yeah he was! A real character, the third man to walk on the moon. His words when he stepped onto the Moon...


He did that purely because a reporter did not believe that the astronauts could say what they liked when they stepped on to the moon. He said to the reporter well "I will say......" and so he did.
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Old 01-03-2008, 01:31
HenryGarten
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I do believe that Tom Stafford and Eugene Cernan put on one of the most colourful performances in "Snoopy". (The lunar module in Apollo X).
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Old 01-03-2008, 07:55
Ricardodaforce
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I do believe that Tom Stafford and Eugene Cernan put on one of the most colourful performances in "Snoopy". (The lunar module in Apollo X).
Really? I always thought Cernan was quite a serious guy, a bit like Frank Borman.
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Old 01-03-2008, 08:27
ChristineCagney
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He did that purely because a reporter did not believe that the astronauts could say what they liked when they stepped on to the moon. He said to the reporter well "I will say......" and so he did.
Yeah I know. He was still a legend though.
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Old 01-03-2008, 09:28
HenryGarten
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Yeah I know. He was still a legend though.
Oh I agree he was a legend. He and Al Bean got up to some great stunts on Apollo XII


I actually was in the same room as Al Bean in September 2006.
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Old 01-03-2008, 09:31
HenryGarten
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Really? I always thought Cernan was quite a serious guy, a bit like Frank Borman.
Yes Borman was a bit severe but any crew which names their craft Snoopy and Charlie Brown must have some fun in them.

Stafford very much wanted to fly again and of course did so on Apollo/Soyus.
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Old 01-03-2008, 09:40
Ricardodaforce
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I remember watching that as a boy. Leonov and Stafford shaking hands if my memory serves me right.
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Old 01-03-2008, 09:52
HenryGarten
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I remember watching that as a boy. Leonov and Stafford shaking hands if my memory serves me right.
Wasn't it supposed to happen over Brighton but ended up happening over Cherbourgh? Just a few seconds late and that happens!
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Old 01-03-2008, 09:54
HenryGarten
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I remember watching that as a boy. Leonov and Stafford shaking hands if my memory serves me right.
Lenov was great. He was the very first spacewalker on Voshhod II in 1965.
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Old 01-03-2008, 09:59
nitpick
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What do people think about Britain entering the manned space programme? A chance for some of the younger folk here to get into space without paying!
Well, sure beats an ASBO [joking]

But that's what we need ENTHUSIASM - and there is/was (as most will know) a British Astronaut! I'm sure there is latent interest, but so many folks only associate "science" with the "evils of the world". Can you imagine a program like "Tomorrows World" suceeding as peaktime TV these days?

I agree with the government that space related science and technologies could prove invaluable for those companies that take part in them so let's get our own more involved.
Betta get in quick, lads and lasses!

Especially considering massive cuts to ESTABLISHED UK science (esp. astronomy) budgets. Sadly UK involvement in so many current and future international collaborations seems doubtful. Not to mention redundancies at home. But hardly unque on the part of THIS government. The UK (unlike most EU countries) never seems to value or promote research and enterprise in these areas...

Ah, what might have been... (British and still WORKING!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_X-3

Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow
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Old 01-03-2008, 10:16
Ricardodaforce
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Lenov was great. He was the very first spacewalker on Voshhod II in 1965.
Have you read the book that he and Dave Scott wrote? It's a good read.
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Old 01-03-2008, 10:28
HenryGarten
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Have you read the book that he and Dave Scott wrote? It's a good read.
No but give me a link and it will be on my reading list. As you know Dave Scott fell foul of the "no stamp collecting on moon rule".....or was that no private enterprise on the moon?
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Old 01-03-2008, 10:33
HenryGarten
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I remember watching that as a boy. Leonov and Stafford shaking hands if my memory serves me right.
Must have been frustrating for you that it was all finishing just as you were getting interested. There was a wait of nearly six years until another manned US flight.
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