Rockwell suggested in 1985 that manned versions of their ballistic cargo return systems could be used to return astronauts from the space station in the event of an on-orbit disaster. Two concepts are illustrated (“ENCAP” and “SAVER”), one similar to the Douglas “Paracone” from the 1960’s, and a version using a balloon to provide drag. So presumably the cargo return system, illustrated with a lifting body diagram, would actually closely resemble one of these systems.
Now all we need is a market or a festival and a great big truck…
But wait! There’s more holiday cheer!
So what happens when you use laws to make owning a gun legally difficult? You incentivize the trade in illegal guns. And you incentivize the manufacture of home-made guns.
And it wasn’t even an Evil AR-15, but a mundane .45 caliber pistol, built off the books Because firearm manufacture, especially now in the era of affordable CNC mills, is within the grasp not just of registered firearms corporations, but of modestly dedicated amateurs.
Sometime around 1973/74, NASA put out a report on future aeronautics and space opportunities. While lean on technical detail, and devoid of diagrams (bah), it did have some vaguely interesting 1970’s-style art. The painting below illustrates some of the “other” things that the forthcoming Space Shuttle could do, like launch solar power satellites, lob nuclear waste into deep space and be used for point-to-point Terrestrial passenger transport. Yeah, about that…
It only took about 40 years, but ET finally gets a sequel.
Yes, it’s a commercial. But remember Reese’s Pieces? The whole movie served as a monumental commercial for that minor confection.
This, I imagine, is Trumps Fault.
Will this story get a tenth as much reporting as Jussie Smollet got for his little hoax? Let’s find out!
A 1978 NASA artists impression (taken from ebay) depicting a “rescue ball” being used. This short-lived product was basically a space suit in spherical form, one that a Shuttle astronaut in shirt sleeves could enter relatively quickly in the event of an on-orbit disaster. Another Shuttle could send astronauts to collect the encapsulated and helpless astronauts and transfer them to a non-doomed shuttle. It was *kind* of a good idea, but once it was realized that the Shuttle takes *weeks* to prep for launch, the idea of using a Shuttle to rescue another Shuttle fell by the wayside. Instead of the crew of a stricken Shuttle relying on another Shuttle for rescue, official policy became la-la-la-I-can’t-hear-you and orbital rescue equipment became superfluous.
Here’s an article from “Future Life” magazine, May 1979, describing a Rockwell concept for a passenger module for the Shuttle. This could carry 74 passengers, a loadout that seems perhaps excessive until you realize that it was meant to transport the crews who would build the miles-long solar power satellites. If this concept is of interest, be sure to check out US Bomber Projects #06, the Solar Power Satellite Launch Special. There, another concept for a Shuttle “bus” was described and illustrated.
And another case of BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….
Antifa loves to drown people out. Nice to see a proportionate response.