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  #21  
Old December 17th 04, 04:51 AM
Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)
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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  
Old December 17th 04, 07:21 AM
Christopher M. Jones
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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  
Old December 17th 04, 07:56 AM
Henry Spencer
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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  
Old December 17th 04, 03:14 PM
Robert Conley
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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  
Old December 17th 04, 04:04 PM
Herb Schaltegger
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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  
Old December 17th 04, 06:31 PM
Scott Hedrick
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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  
Old December 18th 04, 12:32 AM
Reed Snellenberger
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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  
Old December 18th 04, 03:46 AM
OM
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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  
Old December 18th 04, 04:35 AM
David Lesher
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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  
Old December 18th 04, 05:38 AM
Henry Spencer
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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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