The Shuttle was a MISTAKE?

[Hagar]

It's OK Kat. I'm almost through & apart from a couple of little blips this has been a civilised & interesting discussion.

Richie asked me a question & I promised to answer it.

I'd be interested to know Doug, was he really considered a hero of the space program (despite his history)?

I would like to make it clear that I only brought von Braun into this as Will mentioned the V2 & its significance to the original manned space program & the Moon landings. It's not for me to judge anyone & after von Braun's success in reaching his objective it seems only natural to me that he would be regarded as a hero despite what he might have done in his earlier life. I couldn't find the site I was looking for but did find these. A photo of von Braun joking with a GI taken some time after his surrender. He doesn't look too unhappy about it. http://www.angelfire.com/md2/patches/medals/otherqbcomexinf.html

Short biog of Dr. Wernher von Braun. There are many similar accounts posted on the Web.

[Woodlouse2002]

[quote]

Woodlouse, you have an interesting and consistent knack for taking a trivial comment that someone made and then drawing a "red herring" across the real subject path with grandiose language and inflamatory statements.

[Katahu]

Careful guys, last thing I need to do is call the big guys in the white uniforms.



I read a lot about Von Braun. A very successful man he was [regardless of his association with the Nazis] in rocket propulsion. I think we had an American figure who had probably the same views as Von Braun did. I can't remember his name, but he succeeded in creating a liquid-powered rocket that launched from a A-frame.

[TacitBlue]

We have a Sci-fi casualty.

LOL, I wouldn't say Sci-fi casualty, more like science theory casualty. But as John said, things like FTL and worm-hole travel are way beyond us at the present, but they don't have to be. The thing about theories is that they remain so until they are proven.

[Katahu]

Good point about theories.

Here's a question. And think about it real hard before you start spitting out the answer. You answer might be wrong.

Can a wormhole allow you to travel through it in both ways or only one way? Explain.

[Mynameisnemo]

Can a wormhole allow you to travel through it in both ways or only one way? Explain.

That is a good question there,

same could be asked about this one:
"whats on the other side of a Black hole?"

Nemo

[TacitBlue]

I don't see why a wormhole wouldn't work both ways. The reason they don't  in (delving into Sci-fi now) Stargate is because- as explained in the SG-1 show -matter is broken down into sub atomic particles and then re-assembled on the other side. The actual worm-hole theory, as I understand it involves folding space so that two points meet, and one could simply walk through. Don't ask me how that is supposed to happen, I'm not a physicist.

[TacitBlue]

That is a good question there,

same could be asked about this one:
"whats on the other side of a Black hole?"

Nemo

A black hole is something with so much gravity that it has condensed itself to a single point in space, hence the name "Quantum singularity". The best thing about black holes is that you get to use the really cool term "Event Horizon".

[JBaymore]

Woodlouse,

Thanks for the references.

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Its said Von Braun was an SS Officer and a rocket scientist...I'm not sure of his military service, but this sounds like an honourary rank to me...was he a big Nazi guy?
And as to why he was happy to be captured by the Americans? Well they didnt make you a slave, send you to an Arctic gulag and they treated you like a human! As opposed to the Russians at the time.

A.

[RichieB16]

Its said Von Braun was an SS Officer and a rocket scientist...I'm not sure of his military service, but this sounds like an honourary rank to me...was he a big Nazi guy?
And as to why he was happy to be captured by the Americans? Well they didnt make you a slave, send you to an Arctic gulag and they treated you like a human! As opposed to the Russians at the time.

I had never heard that he had military rank but I don't know that much about him.

[Hagar]

[quote]I had never heard that he had military rank but I don't know that much about him.

[Woodlouse2002]

Gather round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun
A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience
Call him a Nazi, he won't even frown
"Ha, Nazi schmazi," says Wernher von Braun

Don't say that he's hypocritical
Say rather that he's apolitical
"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down
That's not my department," says Wernher von Braun

Some have harsh words for this man of renown
But some think our attitude should be one of gratitude
Like the widows and cripples in old London town
Who owe their large pensions to Wernher von Braun

You too may be a big hero
Once you've learned to count backwards to zero
"In German oder English I know how to count down
Und I'm learning Chinese," says Wernher von Braun

By Tom Lehrer.

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Hehee!
A part of that song was on one of those sites
Its so true!
I've heard of surrendering to the Americans...but isnt that a bit weak?


A.

[ATI_7500]

I've heard of surrendering to the Americans...but isnt that a bit weak?

The possibility of ten years in a gulag or a well paid job in a space agency. Decide...