On 16/01/2012 11:15 AM, Jochem Huhmann wrote:
Sylvia writes:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new...-1226244947015

"The Soviet-designed system is loaded with 11,000 tonnes of toxic fuel -
enough to take it to the mysterious Mars moon Phobos - and a Chinese
satellite it had been due to put in orbit around the Red Planet under a
landmark deal with Beijing."

That's quite some spacecraft. Who imagined that the Soviets had such
powerful launchers?

11,000 over here is 11.000 over there. That the Daily Telegraph doesn't
get the decimal points/commas sorted out shouldn't be a surprise,
really. It's just a meaningless number to them and the larger it looks
the better.

Perhaps, but I can't see why the Ruskis would state the amount of fuel
to three decimal places. I suspect it was actually stated as 11,000 kg
(which is probably a rounded amount) and that the reporter didn't pay
enough attention.

Sylvia.