Landing a capsule on a huge airbag?

JRS: In article , seen
in news:sci.space.tech, Vincent Cate posted at Fri,
19 Sep 2003 08:22:53 :-

You would of course want 2 parafoils, 2 computers, 2 differential GPS units,
etc. The capsule would be reusable as long as it hit the airbag, and
have a crumple zone (like a car, Armadillo Aerospace, or Apollo seats)
in case it missed. It might not be reusable if it missed, but the people
should survive. People survive car crashes with less deceleration
protection than a form fitting couch.


Alternatively, design the vehicle with an internal crumple zone or air
mattress under each individual couch. This adds little mass.

The vehicle has one degree of reusability-importance and one degree of
impact-resistance; a passenger has a different degree of each. Design
for these appropriately.

Just consider the state of the car after a car-into-wall crash in which
a well-deployed airbag made the occupant into a minor medical case.
Normally, I believe, not reusable.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
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Dr John Stockton wrote:

The vehicle has one degree of reusability-importance and one degree of
impact-resistance; a passenger has a different degree of each. Design
for these appropriately.

Just consider the state of the car after a car-into-wall crash in which
a well-deployed airbag made the occupant into a minor medical case.
Normally, I believe, not reusable.


But cars are not designed for such. You could design such a car -
start with a VW Beetle and make sure front and backparts are easy
to separate and that you can attach a new front part.

--
Sander

+++ Out of cheese error +++

JRS: In article , seen in
news:sci.space.tech, Sander Vesik posted at
Thu, 25 Sep 2003 18:52:27 :-
Dr John Stockton wrote:

The vehicle has one degree of reusability-importance and one degree of
impact-resistance; a passenger has a different degree of each. Design
for these appropriately.

Just consider the state of the car after a car-into-wall crash in which
a well-deployed airbag made the occupant into a minor medical case.
Normally, I believe, not reusable.


But cars are not designed for such. You could design such a car -
start with a VW Beetle and make sure front and backparts are easy
to separate and that you can attach a new front part.

You remind me of a cartoon by one of the UK's great motoring
cartoonists.

A manifest veteran enthusiast in an open-top Jaguar was surprised and
disgruntled at being overtaken by a youth driving a small car consisting
of the front of a (FWD) Mini welded to the back of a (rear-engined) VW
Beetle. Two engines beats one.


However, I introduced the car to show that there exist circumstances
where the passengers are very much less harmed than the vehicle.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
some Astro stuff via astro.htm, gravity0.htm; quotes.htm; pascal.htm; &c, &c.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.