More on a Mars mission

lvpokerplayer RemoveThis @aol.com (LV Poker Player) wrote in message news:<20040402051419.08175.00000621 RemoveThis @mb-m02.aol.com>...
  > >From: wishdump
 >
  > >Why not two modules connected by cable? One large with most of the
  > >mass and a lighter one for crew. Crew can have as much g as
  > >necessary. Both would need their own synchronised propulsion unless
  > >you want to spin down, connect together and boost as a single unit.
 >
 > I think this would be difficult or impossible if we use any continuous
 > propulsion method such as ion propulsion. Also, one of my primary objectives
 > is to make it expandable, which also would be more difficult with this setup.

I don't see any great difficulty - good software with continuous
monitoring of thrust and relative accelerations would keep them
synchronised. Balancing the thrust of multiple engines must be
something well understood by now even if these would be further apart
than the multiple rocket engines of launch boosters. Obviously the
direction of thrust is parallel to the axis around which they rotate.
I can't see that there is anything to prevent expansion either - the
modules can be added to by adding 'floors' as modular units or by
construction in situ - expansion 'down'(outwards from centre of
rotation) would keep it more stable but sideways would work too so
long as additions are balanced. Extra cables or cable replacement
might be necessary when safety margins for cable tension are
approached.
Ken
BTW I'm not sure this is the right group for this discussion - I don't
think it's relevant to Larry's writings.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: More on a Mars mission 

 >From: wishdump

 >BTW I'm not sure this is the right group for this discussion - I don't
 >think it's relevant to Larry's writings.
 >

He has had activities on the moon and Mars, and even if it is not directly on
topic, I think it is an appropriate topic for a science fiction oriented ng.

Also, this is alt...

--
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LV Poker Player wrote:

 > He has had activities on the moon and Mars, and even if it is not
 > directly on
 > topic, I think it is an appropriate topic for a science fiction
 > oriented ng.

Very little of Niven's science fiction had to do with the details of
_how_ colonization effors proceeded. Almost all of them had to do with
what happened after colonization occurred, because that's a more
detailed setting. So the original poster is right, this really doesn't
have much to do with Niven's writings on their own (unless you're going
to say that this kind of discussion is appropriate for _any_ science
fiction writer, at which point the argument degenerates to absurdity).

Certainly there are far more directly relevant newsgroups for this
discussion, like sci.space.tech for example.

 > Also, this is alt...

What difference do you think that makes?

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  >> Also, this is alt...
 >
 >What difference do you think that makes?

alt is generally unmoderated and wide open, with plenty of off topic and semi
on topic posts. I think this subject can be considered semi on topic.

--
Ferengi rule of acquisition #192: Never cheat a Klingon...unless you're sure
you can get away with it.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
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LV Poker Player wrote:

 > alt is generally unmoderated ...

So are most newsgroups in the Big Eight.

 > ... and wide open, with plenty of off topic
 > and semi
 > on topic posts. I think this subject can be considered semi on topic.

So you know it's not really on-topic, know that there are better forums
to discuss it in, and don't care? That's really swell.

--
__ Erik Max Francis && max.TakeThisOut@alcyone.com && <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.alcyone.com/max/" target="_blank">http://www.alcyone.com/max/</a>
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 >> Stay informed about: More on a Mars mission 

"Erik Max Francis" <max DeleteThis @alcyone.com> wrote in message
news:406E2795.692C2EFD@alcyone.com...
 >
 > So you know it's not really on-topic, know that there are better
forums
 > to discuss it in, and don't care? That's really swell.

What bloody difference does it make if it's on-topic? YOU'RE way
off-topic discussing whether it's off-topic too. I don't remember any
Larry Niven stories about things being on-topic.

Jesus, no wonder this group is nearly dead.

Have a great day!

Ernest
_____________________
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Ernest Fairchild wrote:

 > What bloody difference does it make if it's on-topic? YOU'RE way
 > off-topic discussing whether it's off-topic too. I don't remember any
 > Larry Niven stories about things being on-topic.

Then so is your post!!! Oooh!!!!

Come on, be serious. Topicality and metadiscussions must be valid in
any newsgroup, otherwise nobody could ever discuss the, and off-topic
posts would be 100% valid because nobody could ever dispute them.
That's just absurd.

--
__ Erik Max Francis && max.DeleteThis@alcyone.com && <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.alcyone.com/max/" target="_blank">http://www.alcyone.com/max/</a>
/ \ San Jose, CA, USA && 37 20 N 121 53 W && AIM erikmaxfrancis
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"Erik Max Francis" <max.DeleteThis@alcyone.com> wrote in message
news:406E43A5.163B7BED@alcyone.com...
 >
 > Then so is your post!!! Oooh!!!!
 >
 > Come on, be serious. Topicality and metadiscussions must be valid in
 > any newsgroup, otherwise nobody could ever discuss the, and off-topic
 > posts would be 100% valid because nobody could ever dispute them.
 > That's just absurd.

Well, I'll tell ya what. I develop friends in groups that are tolerant
of off-topic. I don't in groups that aren't.

For example, if I want to talk about some emotional pain I had today,
where would I turn? The group that *only* talks about Larry Niven, or
the nice one where we can talk about Dean Koontz *and* anything else
that suits our fancy?

You're the one being absurd. Making this place a death camp where you
can only talk about Larry is not the answer.

Have a great day!

Ernest
_____________________
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I am
worked."<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: More on a Mars mission 

 >From: Erik Max Francis

  >> ... and wide open, with plenty of off topic
  >> and semi
  >> on topic posts. I think this subject can be considered semi on topic.
 >
 >So you know it's not really on-topic, know that there are better forums
 >to discuss it in, and don't care? That's really swell.

It came up in this one. Argue it with whoever started the thread.

--
Ferengi rule of acquisition #192: Never cheat a Klingon...unless you're sure
you can get away with it.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: More on a Mars mission 

  >> Come on, be serious. Topicality and metadiscussions must be valid in
  >> any newsgroup, otherwise nobody could ever discuss the, and off-topic
  >> posts would be 100% valid because nobody could ever dispute them.
  >> That's just absurd.
 >
 >Well, I'll tell ya what. I develop friends in groups that are tolerant
 >of off-topic. I don't in groups that aren't.
 >
 >For example, if I want to talk about some emotional pain I had today,
 >where would I turn? The group that *only* talks about Larry Niven, or
 >the nice one where we can talk about Dean Koontz *and* anything else
 >that suits our fancy?
 >
 >You're the one being absurd. Making this place a death camp where you
 >can only talk about Larry is not the answer.

I'm with you. My main ng is alt.fan.heinlein, partly because I am a Heinlein
fan and partly because anyone feels free to post anything. Sometimes people
will complain about the amount of off topic posting, but not all that often and
generally it is just a request to slow down rather than to stop entirely.
Heinlein did write about a lot of things in both fiction and nonfiction, so it
is often possible to make some sort of on topic reference, but this is not
required by any means.

It also gets a lot more traffic that this place seems to be getting.

--
Ferengi rule of acquisition #192: Never cheat a Klingon...unless you're sure
you can get away with it.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: More on a Mars mission 

"LV Poker Player" <lvpokerplayer.TakeThisOut@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040403015357.04896.00000537@mb-m29.aol.com...
 >
 > I'm with you. My main ng is alt.fan.heinlein, partly because I am a
Heinlein
 > fan and partly because anyone feels free to post anything. Sometimes
people
 > will complain about the amount of off topic posting, but not all that
often and
 > generally it is just a request to slow down rather than to stop
entirely.
 > Heinlein did write about a lot of things in both fiction and
nonfiction, so it
 > is often possible to make some sort of on topic reference, but this is
not
 > required by any means.
 >
 > It also gets a lot more traffic that this place seems to be getting.

And it could quite well be that the *reason* this place doesn't get much
traffic is because of the attitudes such as his that this should only be
about Nivenesque subjects.

The Isaac Asimov group is much the same, and they have a similar dearth
of posts. I had a guy there *threaten* me to tell my ISP once when I
made an off-topic post.

Absurd. Make the group a friendly place, and more people will visit,
there will be more comraderie, and everyone (well, almost everyone) will
be happier.

That's how I look at it.

Have a great day!

Ernest
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I am
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Ernest Fairchild wrote:

 > And it could quite well be that the *reason* this place doesn't get
 > much
 > traffic is because of the attitudes such as his that this should only
 > be
 > about Nivenesque subjects.

I seriously doubt it, since it was never much of an issue before. What
I have noticed is that most of the regulars seem to have bailed, and
have been replaced by cranks who don't wish to let anything like reality
get in the way of their huge posts. Blaming that on people interested
in topicality is what's absurd.

--
__ Erik Max Francis && max RemoveThis @alcyone.com && <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.alcyone.com/max/" target="_blank">http://www.alcyone.com/max/</a>
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"Erik Max Francis" <max.DeleteThis@alcyone.com> wrote in message
news:406F2E63.B4BE8C74@alcyone.com...
 >
 > I seriously doubt it, since it was never much of an issue before.
What
 > I have noticed is that most of the regulars seem to have bailed, and
 > have been replaced by cranks who don't wish to let anything like
reality
 > get in the way of their huge posts. Blaming that on people interested
 > in topicality is what's absurd.

I've been here at least six years, and I've tried to work within the
ridiculous "topicality" rules fairly well.

I just think it's time for it to stop. Time to move on. Time for this to
be a friendly place. This place is seeming more and more like a prison
rather than like a place someone would come to socialize.

Get off your pedestal.

If the best we have is that stupid "Don't Get Sore" thread, then this
place either needs to get better or die.

Have a great day!

Ernest
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