On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:21:24 -0700 (PDT), Father Haskell
fatherhaskell@yahoo.com> wrote:

On Apr 29, 7:43 am, "Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)"
mooregr_deletet...@greenms.com> wrote:
"Father Haskell" <fatherhask...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:6ed3fb46-ec43-4749-9d2a-3756deb9b572@2g2000hsn.googlegroups.com...

If the hull breaches, you're fucked no matter what you
do.

Yeah, it's tragic how the cosmonauts on Mir died after the hull breach. Oh
wait, they didn't.

Which compartment?

Spektr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir

Starting in March 1995, seven U.S. astronauts spent 28 months on Mir.
During their stay several acute emergencies occurred, notably a small
fire on February 23, 1997, and a collision with an unmanned Progress
spacecraft on June 25, 1997. The latter left a hole in the Spektr
module, which was then sealed off from the rest of the station. On
both occasions the necessity for complete evacuation using the Soyuz
escape craft was narrowly avoided. Several space walks were needed to
restore full power to Mir, and one of these was inside the Spektr
module from which all the air had escaped. After the emergencies, the
U.S. Congress and NASA considered whether the U.S. should abandon the
program out of concern for the astronauts' safety, but NASA
administrator Daniel S. Goldin decided to continue the program.

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:43:51 -0400, zentara <zentara@highstream.net
wrote:
If that were the general human attitude to exploration, one could be
forgiven for wondering how our forebears ever plucked up the courage
to climb out of the Olduvai Gorge.

But the difference is that our forebearers could confidently assume that
there would be a high likelyhood of air,
Okay.
water,
Possibly
food,
Possibly
and moderate temeratures,
For a while.
once they left the safety of the gorge.
So effectively, they went out, much like our astronauts, with what
they thought they needed, and what they could carry.

Not true on Mars, nor in space.
True, but crossing thousands of miles of the Pacific on log rafts,
must have been equally daunting, equally difficult.

Still they went.

And so mankind will continue to do.

There is a big difference between earth explorers and space explorers.
The stage is totally different .

Not really.

The unknown is, by definition, unknown, be it Earth, or space.

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:43:52 -0400, in a place far, far away, zentara
zentara@highstream.net> made the phosphor on my monitor glow in such
a way as to indicate that:


Of course, I realize that Mars exploration is just a loss-leader
needed by the military-industrial complex ( as was the moon landing),
to stimulate spending on space research for the military.

Then you "realize" complete and utter nonsense. Very little of
military interest comes from Mars exploration, and the military has a
huge space budget of its own.

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:15:30 GMT, simberg.interglobal@org.trash (Rand
Simberg) wrote:

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:43:52 -0400, in a place far, far away, zentara
zentara@highstream.net> made the phosphor on my monitor glow in such
a way as to indicate that:


Of course, I realize that Mars exploration is just a loss-leader
needed by the military-industrial complex ( as was the moon landing),
to stimulate spending on space research for the military.

Then you "realize" complete and utter nonsense. Very little of
military interest comes from Mars exploration, and the military has a
huge space budget of its own.

My point is that keeping the public interest in space is very important
in getting military appropriations for space passed.

Also much research
done by the military is hidden in conventional civilian programs.

The space shuttle never would have been built without the public
interest in moon landings, and manned space stations. The miltary has
used the shuttle numerous times for classified launches.

I remember
all the glowing forecasts of what the manned space station would lead
to, when they were debating the Shuttle. As it turned out, it would have
be cheaper to use conventional rockets, which is what the future will
be.

Moon landings, and Mars landings are just a dog and pony show.
They
keep the public interest up, when billion dollar appropriation bills
are being pushed thru congress.

It's amazing how people respond
to animations showing giant manned space stations, constructing
a large Mars rocket, demonstrating that Mankind's dominance over the
earth, will soon extend to the Solar System.

If it was only putting spy satellites into orbit, and maybe sneaking
some weapons up there, not much money would be spent.

As a matter
of fact, there would be an uproar against it. As it is now, it's all
conveniently hidden behind the civilian space programs.

But, as a final word, if you ever make it to Mars, I give you
permission to scrawl "Zentara sucks" in the red dust.

"Smiler" <Smiler@Joe.King.com> wrote in message
news:ZD6Sj.101817$4f4.80030@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...

Starting in March 1995, seven U.S. astronauts spent 28 months on Mir.
During their stay several acute emergencies occurred, notably a small
fire on February 23, 1997, and a collision with an unmanned Progress
spacecraft on June 25, 1997. The latter left a hole in the Spektr
module, which was then sealed off from the rest of the station. On
both occasions the necessity for complete evacuation using the Soyuz
escape craft was narrowly avoided. Several space walks were needed to
restore full power to Mir, and one of these was inside the Spektr
module from which all the air had escaped. After the emergencies, the
U.S. Congress and NASA considered whether the U.S. should abandon the
program out of concern for the astronauts' safety, but NASA
administrator Daniel S. Goldin decided to continue the program.


They were up there 28 months! Did any of the seven go insane?
If not, why should 18 months be a problem?

No individual was up there that long. The total time of all 7 was 28
months.