From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Sun Jul 14 2002 - 11:49:51 MDT
On Sun, 14 Jul 2002, Technotranscendence wrote:
> On Sunday, July 14, 2002 11:27 AM Robert J. Bradbury
> bradbury@aeiveos.com wrote:
> > It turns out Spike is pretty much correct.
>
> How could this be?:)
I know, it shocks me too. The idea of such a mind out
running around on a motorcycle in the middle of MidCal
seems like such a waste. Just a slight tweek of the
mental dials and we could have that mind computing
weights and fuel loads and getting *just* as much
satisfaction from that as the motorcycle ride provides.
What a waste!
> Probably was overengineered for safety reasons too.
Quite possibly. The shows I've seen recently on PBS seem
to suggest the Command Module/LEM idea was considered to
be pretty "radical". Much of the Gemini program was to
shake out the uncertainties. So they may have sized the
Saturn V to go back to a single vehicle approach should
it have turned out the two vehicle approach was problematic.
But we will have to wait until Spike gets back from his
recreational activities to perhaps learn more...
> ISS assembly or something similar does offer one advantage. Stuff can
> be packaged and assembled in orbit. It needn't be designed from the
> start to fit together as one piece and make it through the atmosphere.
> This removes some limits on design.
Yes, and our docking, EVA experience and assembly skills have become
quite a bit more developed since the Apollo era.
> I'd also rather start space and solar system settlement
> yesterday -- not wait for genetic engineering to get it started. That
> would only add to delays. By that standard, why not wait until we have
> humans that are built like rockets?
Yep. Yet another thing to put on the transhumanist agenda...
Item 47. A set of homeobox genes that produces humans shaped like
rockets with an exoskeleton made out of diamondoid.
Of course its only on bodies Mars-sized or larger where the
rocket shape is of any importance.
R.
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