On Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:07:03 +0800, Neil Gerace wrote:

Marvin the Martian wrote:

Again, a sounding rocket is one that simply goes up high in the
atmosphere and doesn't even get close to LEO.

No, that's just what sounding rockets happen to do. It's not what they
are. A sounding rocket is a rocket whose payload takes soundings, i.e.
measurements, of its environment. A sounding rocket could go way up to
orbital altitudes, taking measurements of the atmosphere when it gets
there, and still be a sounding rocket.

You hew-mons are comparing a rocket that does about 800 miles/hour with a
low earth capable rocket which does something around 9 km/s and getting
all giggly and excited.

What's worse is the energy of the rocket goes as the square of the
velocity.

The "payload" is a bunch of easily amused and grossly over paid ape-folk
who want bragging rights about getting "astronauts wings" due to a really
bad definition of what constitutes an astronut. These ape-folk are as far
from being an astronaut as a kid playing with a cap gun is an explosives
expert.

Its funny and do carry on.