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#21
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"Scott Hedrick" wrote in message ... "Derek Lyons" wrote in message ... Techno-geeks of all stripes however tend to ignore these unsexy bits. According to a display at the National Atomic Museum many years ago, the US decided to rent a Russian space reactor to study, since the SP-100 wasn't working out. So far, no problem. After thoroughly studying it, it was time to ship it back. Big problem- can't export nuclear techology to the commies. The fact that it came *from* them in the first place was irrelevant. Somehow I find this story a bit suspect, since I'm not sure this would fall under export laws... But interesting. The reactor sat on the dock until a practical solution was arrived- the guards were asked to take a coffee break while the reactor was loaded. In short, rather than go through all the effort to create a special one-time exemption to the law, the law was blatantly ignored. After all, since the Russians invented the think, it's rather obvious that they won't learn anything new from it upon its return, and it was their property. |
#22
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Scott Hedrick wrote:
According to a display at the National Atomic Museum many years ago, the US decided to rent a Russian space reactor to study, since the SP-100 wasn't working out. [snip] The US bought two Topaz-2 reactors from the Russians shortly after the end of the cold-war. They were caught up in several diplomatic snafus involving the state department before they finally made the trip to the US (though no laws were broken). The reactors were studied extensively and at least one of them was to be used to test an electric thruster in orbit as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative, though that test was scrapped. So far as I know both reactors are still in storage in Albuquerque, NM. |
#23
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In article ,
Greg D. Moore \(Strider\) wrote: decided to rent a Russian space reactor to study, since the SP-100 wasn't working out. So far, no problem. After thoroughly studying it, it was time to ship it back. Big problem- can't export nuclear techology to the commies. The fact that it came *from* them in the first place was irrelevant. Somehow I find this story a bit suspect, since I'm not sure this would fall under export laws... It would. The export regulations cover *anything* going out of the US. Foreign origin is irrelevant. [Many things about the export regulations do not make sense. The export people see nothing wrong with irrational regulations.] Moreover, this wasn't a case of generic export regulations. There is a specific law which flatly bans export of a nuclear reactor to any nation which has not signed a particular peaceful-nuclear-energy treaty; the USSR hadn't. I can't vouch for all the details of Scott's version, but the incident was real; it happened in early 1991. -- "Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer -- George Herbert | |
#24
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For those of you interested in trying to fly the gemini itself. You can download: Orbiter Sim at http://www.orbitersim.com Project Gemini at http://www.ibiblio.org/mscorbit You will want the Earth 1962 addon for the historical launch scenarios. If there is enough interest I can add stuck thruster keyboard commands to allow playing with various Gemini 8 situations. The Gemini physical characteristics should be close to the real thing. As I have found thruster, mass, and moment of interia data in various historical documents. I think you find that a) it is easy to use up a lot of fuel quickly. This is true of all historical spacecraft. b)using the re-entry thrusters while attached to the agena is not a good thing to do both operationally or for safety. Attached to the Agena the RCS is really only good for roll control. c) The agena thrusters are underpowered by half as I didn't have good data on that Agena Control System when I first released this. This week I was given a couple of pdfs that explained the ACS in greater detail. I will fix it along with the stuck thruster update. Rob Conley |
#25
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In article
. unc.edu, Robert Conley wrote: For those of you interested in trying to fly the gemini itself. You can download: Orbiter Sim at http://www.orbitersim.com Project Gemini at http://www.ibiblio.org/mscorbit (snip) Thanks, Robert! This is another solid nail in LaLiar's latest conspiratorial attempt to trash important historical space personalities. Besides, Orbiter is fun and historical scenarios just help make it more so. -- Herb Schaltegger, B.S., J.D. "Wow! This is like saying when engineers get involved, harmonic oscillations tear apart bridges." ~Hop David http://www.angryherb.net |
#26
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"Christopher M. Jones" wrote in message ... So far as I know both reactors are still in storage in Albuquerque, NM. I visited the National Atomic Museum in 1995 when I read the story- which I greatly paraphrased, although I did take pictures of the plaque, said pictures currently in storage. |
#27
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Damon Hill wrote:
Ouch, expensive! $65-$70. Might have to wait a while on this one to show up on the used lists. Goes on my Christmas wish list; I know Santa entertains obscure requests. Inter-library loan is your friend (at least here in the States) -- just got the email that the copy I requested 2 mins after Henry's original post has arrived, and is on its way to my local public bookery. :-) -- Reed Snellenberger GPG Key: 5A978843 rsnellenberger-at-houston.rr.com |
#28
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On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 09:04:33 -0600, Herb Schaltegger
wrote: Besides, Orbiter is fun and historical scenarios just help make it more so. ....And since the latest craze is to concoct sims that allow you to reenact really tragic events, we need a Komarov auguring scenario, natch. OM -- "No ******* ever won a war by dying for | http://www.io.com/~o_m his country. He won it by making the other | Sergeant-At-Arms poor dumb ******* die for his country." | Human O-Ring Society - General George S. Patton, Jr |
#29
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Does it talk about Plum Brook? PB was an adjunct facility to LeRC. It was a WWII ammunition depot. NASA got it & built a reactor facility there, as well as a honking big vacuum tank. The tank was designed for testing hot engines, I believe. -- A host is a host from coast to & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433 |
#30
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In article ,
David Lesher wrote: Does it talk about Plum Brook? PB was an adjunct facility to LeRC. It was a WWII ammunition depot. NASA got it & built a reactor facility there, as well as a honking big vacuum tank. The tank was designed for testing hot engines, I believe. Plum Brook gets some mention in the book but isn't center stage at any time, as I recall. -- "Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer -- George Herbert | |
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