…is interviewed by Instapundit.
A couple points. The SRBs are more than two pieces — they consist of seven segments. And I think that American entrepreneurs/adventurers will be back on the moon before the Chinese are.
[Update early afternoon]
Here’s the Youtube version for those who don’t subscribe to Pajamas TV.
There are four main segments in the standard Shuttle solids, actually (plus some additional hardware at the nose and nozzle ends.)
Five segments in the proposed Ares I main stage that’s also on the table as the SLS strapon SRB.
I find myself increasingly cautious about providing specifics extemporaneously these days, given that I work a lot less at memorizing such – after all, I can just look them up on the Web. Which is fine, till we’re sitting there being interviewed on camera – or composing our first post of a Saturday morning…
I should have said “pieces” instead of segments. That’s what I meant.
I think Jerry Pournelle was revealing some binary thinking. One piece, or more than one piece. When he was reserving memory space he should’ve allocated an integer instead of a boolean.
But it was a great interview, and unlike many similar interviews in the MSM, the host didn’t look like a communications major playing along and pretending that the subject matter isn’t completely over their head.
It was a good interview with one of my favorite authors. Pournelle certainly had an inside view of the Shuttle program while at North American, and some good perspective of earlier programs.
It was interesting listening to him talk about China going to the Moon and that Russia and China could partner up somehow and Russia would stop selling us rides to the ISS. I was born in the 50’s, and I can understand the Cold War type concerns that we should have with all of our super-power “friends”, but I don’t see that as the biggest concerns with our current space program.
At this point in Russia’s space program I think they like being partners with the U.S., ESA, JAXA and the other ISS partners, since we give them the opportunity to show that they are equal partners in space, whereas giving that up and working exclusively with China would be a big step back in time. Maybe that will change in 10 years, but not unless Russia gets it’s economic act together and invests a lot more in their space program. Or ours could get defunded. The future is still kinda cloudy…
Yeah, but the plan to use SRBs is to make sure there is participation in the space program of all 57 states . . .
You might want to take a look at this:
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2011/07/nasa_heavy-lift_rocket_support.html
The Administration is also slowing MPCV development (supposedly to bring it into line with the slower version of SLS development they are forcing). It would also be interesting to know where that MPCV money is being spent.
Incredible.