Comments on: STS-124: A Mission in Pictures http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/ Space and astronomy news Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:14:11 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Ryno http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23697 Ryno Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:09:52 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23697 I am glad to have our space junkies back! I am always nervous about their return trip and it will be sad when the retire the flying bricks for good but no matter what they fly we always enjoy a safe return home! WTG STS-124! Great pics too! I am glad to have our space junkies back! I am always nervous about their return trip and it will be sad when the retire the flying bricks for good but no matter what they fly we always enjoy a safe return home! WTG STS-124! Great pics too!

]]> By: IKE:) the Alien lifeform http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23676 IKE:) the Alien lifeform Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:16:57 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23676 About one of the PIONEERS... who invented among others the RAMJET engine concept... Eugen Sänger (September 22, 1905 - February 10, 1964) was an Austrian-German aerospace engineer best known for his contributions to lifting body and ramjet technology. Early career Sänger was born in Preßnitz in Bohemia, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He studied civil engineering at the Technical Universities of Graz and Vienna. As a student, he came in contact with Hermann Oberth's book Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen ("By Rocket into Planetary Space"), which inspired him to change from studying civil engineering to aeronautics. He also joined Germany's amateur rocket movement, the Verein für Raumschiffahrt (VfR - "Spaceflight Society") which was centered on Oberth. Sänger made rocket-powered flight the subject of his thesis, but it was rejected by the university as too fanciful. He was allowed to graduate when he submitted a far more mundane paper on the statics of wing trusses. Sänger would later publish his rejected thesis under the title Raketenflugtechnik ("Rocket Flight Engineering") in 1933. In 1935 and 1936, he published articles on rocket-powered flight for the Austrian journal Flug ("Flying.") These attracted the attention of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, or "Reich Aviation Ministry") which saw Sänger's ideas as a potential way to accomplish the goal of building a bomber that could strike the United States from Germany (the Amerika Bomber project). Sub-orbital bomber concept Sänger agreed to lead a rocket development team in the Lüneburger Heide region in 1936. He gradually conceived a rocket-powered sled that would launch a bomber with its own rocket engines that would climb to the fringe of space and then skip along the upper atmosphere - not actually entering orbit, but able to cover vast distances in a series of sub-orbital hops. This remarkable design was called the Silbervogel ("Silverbird") and would have relied on its fuselage creating lift (as a lifting body) to carry it along its sub-orbital path. Sänger was assisted in this design by mathematician Irene Bredt, whom he married. Sänger also designed the rocket motors that the space-plane would use, which would need to generate 1 meganewton (224,809 lbs) of thrust. In this design, he was one of the first to suggest using the rocket's fuel as a way of cooling the engine, by circulating it around the rocket nozzle before burning it in the engine. By 1942, the Reich Air Ministry canceled this project along with other more ambitious and theoretical designs in favour of concentrating on proven technologies. Sänger was sent to work for the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS, or"German Gliding Research Institute"). There he did important work on ramjet technology until the end of World War II. Postwar After the war ended, Sänger worked for the French government and in 1949 founded the Fédération Astronautique. Whilst in France, he was the subject of a botched attempt by Soviet agents to win him over. Stalin had become intrigued by reports of the Silbervogel design and sent his son, Vasily, and scientist Grigori Tokaty to convince him to come to the Soviet Union, but they failed to do so. It has also been reported that Stalin instructed the NKVD to kidnap him.[1]. In 1951, he became the first President of the International Astronautical Federation. By 1954, Sänger had returned to Germany and three years later was directing a jet propulsion research institute in Stuttgart. Between 1961 and 1963 he acted as a consultant for Junkers in designing a ramjet-powered space-plane that never left the drawing board. Sänger's other theoretical innovations during this period were proposing means of using photons for interplanetary and interstellar spacecraft propulsion, including the solar sail. He died in Berlin. His work on the Silbervogel would prove important to the X-15, X-20 Dyna-Soar, and ultimately Space Shuttle programs. KE:) About one of the PIONEERS… who invented among others the RAMJET engine concept…
Eugen Sänger
(September 22, 1905 – February 10, 1964) was an Austrian-German aerospace engineer best known for his contributions to lifting body and ramjet technology.
Early career
Sänger was born in Preßnitz in Bohemia, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He studied civil engineering at the Technical Universities of Graz and Vienna. As a student, he came in contact with Hermann Oberth's book Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen ("By Rocket into Planetary Space"), which inspired him to change from studying civil engineering to aeronautics. He also joined Germany's amateur rocket movement, the Verein für Raumschiffahrt (VfR – "Spaceflight Society") which was centered on Oberth.
Sänger made rocket-powered flight the subject of his thesis, but it was rejected by the university as too fanciful. He was allowed to graduate when he submitted a far more mundane paper on the statics of wing trusses. Sänger would later publish his rejected thesis under the title Raketenflugtechnik ("Rocket Flight Engineering") in 1933. In 1935 and 1936, he published articles on rocket-powered flight for the Austrian journal Flug ("Flying.") These attracted the attention of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, or "Reich Aviation Ministry") which saw Sänger's ideas as a potential way to accomplish the goal of building a bomber that could strike the United States from Germany (the Amerika Bomber project).
Sub-orbital bomber concept
Sänger agreed to lead a rocket development team in the Lüneburger Heide region in 1936. He gradually conceived a rocket-powered sled that would launch a bomber with its own rocket engines that would climb to the fringe of space and then skip along the upper atmosphere – not actually entering orbit, but able to cover vast distances in a series of sub-orbital hops. This remarkable design was called the Silbervogel ("Silverbird") and would have relied on its fuselage creating lift (as a lifting body) to carry it along its sub-orbital path. Sänger was assisted in this design by mathematician Irene Bredt, whom he married. Sänger also designed the rocket motors that the space-plane would use, which would need to generate 1 meganewton (224,809 lbs) of thrust. In this design, he was one of the first to suggest using the rocket's fuel as a way of cooling the engine, by circulating it around the rocket nozzle before burning it in the engine.
By 1942, the Reich Air Ministry canceled this project along with other more ambitious and theoretical designs in favour of concentrating on proven technologies. Sänger was sent to work for the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS, or"German Gliding Research Institute"). There he did important work on ramjet technology until the end of World War II.
Postwar
After the war ended, Sänger worked for the French government and in 1949 founded the Fédération Astronautique. Whilst in France, he was the subject of a botched attempt by Soviet agents to win him over. Stalin had become intrigued by reports of the Silbervogel design and sent his son, Vasily, and scientist Grigori Tokaty to convince him to come to the Soviet Union, but they failed to do so. It has also been reported that Stalin instructed the NKVD to kidnap him.[1].
In 1951, he became the first President of the International Astronautical Federation.
By 1954, Sänger had returned to Germany and three years later was directing a jet propulsion research institute in Stuttgart. Between 1961 and 1963 he acted as a consultant for Junkers in designing a ramjet-powered space-plane that never left the drawing board. Sänger's other theoretical innovations during this period were proposing means of using photons for interplanetary and interstellar spacecraft propulsion, including the solar sail.
He died in Berlin. His work on the Silbervogel would prove important to the X-15, X-20 Dyna-Soar, and ultimately Space Shuttle programs.
KE:)

]]> By: Colin http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23673 Colin Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:24:18 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23673 Steve, [The money really goes towards the alien project, which will provide us with cheap, renewable energy and advanced technology in the near future.] Not to mention those tasty alien burgers, yum yum! Steve,

[The money really goes towards the alien project, which will provide us with cheap, renewable energy and advanced technology in the near future.]

Not to mention those tasty alien burgers, yum yum!

]]> By: Magister mundi sum! http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23670 Magister mundi sum! Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:50:33 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23670 Hey, Greg Dinardi, I agree with you 100%. The shuttle idea was a cool idea, but we were not ready for it. i hope the upcoming spacecraft will bring about a new era in space exploration, and it should. Hey, Greg Dinardi, I agree with you 100%. The shuttle idea was a cool idea, but we were not ready for it.

i hope the upcoming spacecraft will bring about a new era in space exploration, and it should.

]]> By: Nancy Atkinson http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23651 Nancy Atkinson Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:53:26 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23651 All the photos and more are downloadable in larger sizes at the link at the end of the article. All the photos and more are downloadable in larger sizes at the link at the end of the article.

]]> By: Greg Dinardi http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23640 Greg Dinardi Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:47:30 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23640 They could have lofted this entire thing with just a few Saturn V flights. Shutting down the Saturn assembly line was one of the biggest mistakes of the era. They had plans for SRB augmentation, a recoverable first stage, a lengthened first stage, the whole nine yards. I grieve for what may have been. They could have lofted this entire thing with just a few Saturn V flights. Shutting down the Saturn assembly line was one of the biggest mistakes of the era. They had plans for SRB augmentation, a recoverable first stage, a lengthened first stage, the whole nine yards. I grieve for what may have been.

]]> By: Steve http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23635 Steve Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:24:42 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23635 It's not really an enormous waste of money and time because it's all done in a studio. You didn't think they were really in space, did you? The money really goes towards the alien project, which will provide us with cheap, renewable energy and advanced technology in the near future. So it's actually good value. I love these forums... ;-) Steve It's not really an enormous waste of money and time because it's all done in a studio. You didn't think they were really in space, did you?

The money really goes towards the alien project, which will provide us with cheap, renewable energy and advanced technology in the near future. So it's actually good value.

I love these forums… ;-)

Steve

]]> By: Bram http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23634 Bram Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:19:16 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23634 Is there a bigger version of the solar array pic? It's incredible! Is there a bigger version of the solar array pic? It's incredible!

]]> By: MrBill http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23630 MrBill Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:48:04 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23630 Wow what an enormous waste of money and time. Wow what an enormous waste of money and time.

]]> By: Al Hall http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23623 Al Hall Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:07:06 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23623 We're almost there.. Really looking forward to project Constellation starting in earnest. We're almost there.. Really looking forward to project Constellation starting in earnest.

]]> By: tacitus http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23615 tacitus Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:39:11 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23615 For some reason, that second photo makes me want to yell "Incoming!" For some reason, that second photo makes me want to yell "Incoming!"

]]> By: Colin http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/14/sts-124-a-mission-in-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-23613 Colin Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:04:28 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=15063#comment-23613 The picture of the ISS solar arrays doesn't look real! The picture of the ISS solar arrays doesn't look real!

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