Neil Armstrong’s sherpa has died. It’s a shame he didn’t live long enough to see the fortieth anniversary this July.
14 thoughts on “In Memorium”
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Neil Armstrong’s sherpa has died. It’s a shame he didn’t live long enough to see the fortieth anniversary this July.
Comments are closed.
I get to wondering about those Mount Everest climbs.
The Moon is in space, but in another way, it is simply a high ground to the Earth, another kind of Everest if you will call it that. The Collision Hypothesis explains the correlation between Moon rocks and Earth rocks on account of coming from the same source rock mixed from the two bodies.
The Moon is not that far away either. A sphere encompassing the Moon’s orbit around the Earth would handily fit within the volume of the Sun. So is the lunar trip a true space trip or is it a kind of extended Everest climb?
Now the thing about the Everest climb is that supposedly you do this under your own power whereas the Moon trip requires a superbooster class rocket. Of course the critique of the Everest climb is that just as Apollo had the people in Mission Control and an army of contractors ready to take your radio call just in case, the Everest climb has its base camps, pack animals, porters, Sherpa guides, and so on. And even oxygen, except for a couple of rare instances where a couple of people have sacrificed enough brain cells to do it alone.
But even taking oxygen, it is difficult to take enough oxygen with you, so part of the mystique of reaching the Everest summit is that a person has to subject themselves to considerable personal hardship to get there. It seems that the climbers take oxygen, but not nearly enough oxygen to make the climb safe let alone comfortable in any kind of way.
So I guess you could get some kind of super helicopter that could hover at 29,000 feet above mean sea level and just be taken to the Everest summit, and what is the challenge in that?
On the other hand, the oxygen gear used by the climbers is rather primitive once-through cycle. Before someone invents the super helicopter, how hard would it be to develop some manner of rebreather oxygen gear as used by Navy SEALS and some well-financed sport divers? In other words, a kind of Everest space suit.
If there was such a thing, would that be “cheating” in the manner of the putative helicopter ride to the summit, that any yokel with that gear could more or less climb that high without exhausting themselves or succumbing to brain injury? Or is such a thing not possible because the CO2 scrubber in a closed cycle breathing device would be too heavy? Or are rebreathers inherently dangerous (they are regarded as requiring a much higher level of training than regular SCUBA), and enough people would continue to perish on the slopes of Everest to maintain the mystique?
The question doesn’t need to be answered, Paul. There is no single definition of “conquering Everest.” The mountaineering community recognizes a whole series of victories, starting with the bare fact of reaching the top, and then going up in glory as you shed assistance.
Also, I don’t think reaching the Moon is like climbing Everest. It’s more like drag racing or something. The challenge is not simply to endure, to be tough, but to safely control very energetic events. What they have in common is excellent discipline.
But perhaps because climbing Everest challenges the bare man, while going to the Moon challenges the man controlling machinery, the intersection between mountaineers and space nuts seems small, to me.
Actually, the difference between climbing Everest and reaching the moon is the risk allowance. Every year, climbers and sherpas die trying to reach the summit of Everest. Its tragic for those individuals and their families, but still people go, because they can and the experience to them is worth the risks.
Apparently, going to the moon isn’t worth that same level of risk in the minds of many.
And I’m not advocating that it should be, because going to the moon entails a certain kind of risk to others not associated in the endeavor, which is not true of climbing Everest. However, even going to LEO or the edge of space apparently isn’t worth the same risk involved in climbing Everest.
Honestly, I don’t think it’s quite the risk to life thingy, Leland, I think it’s the risk to the investor’s (in this case the public’s tax) money. When the public invests in a space shot, they expect excitement and national victory, good television of daring astronauts planting the flag of the US (in the 60s) or Gaia (in the 00s, maybe).
When the vehicle explodes, burns up, or turns tail and ignominiously flees (Apollo 13), I think the fundamental problem is the disappointment in the victory not achieved. It’s Shackleton, getting icebound and never making it to the Pole. No matter how heroic the subsequent recovery, it’s not…quite…satisfying. It’s winning the bronze medal and being given an extra award for displaying good spirit. Won’t sell cases of special-edition red white and blue Bud Light.
I think the alleged concern for astronaut lives is just a humane-sounding cover for this essential public narcissism.
“I think the alleged concern for astronaut lives is just a humane-sounding cover for this essential public narcissism.”
Regardless we need to grow beyond display of narcissism and obtain a practical degree of perception. We don’t stop down the entire crab industry every time a crabber goes into the drink and wait for the results of an investigation and subsequent commission. It’s risky, people die, and those undertaking the endeavor understand the consequences.
Rand, can you name a single Newspace company that has even a single Sherpa on the payroll? Just one company, just one Sherpa? Hmmmmm?
Then perhaps you should not be so quick to criticize NASA methods.
Rand, can you name a single Newspace company that has even a single Sherpa on the payroll? Just one company, just one Sherpa? Hmmmmm?
I’m going to assume that this is a satirical question…
I’m going to assume that this is a satirical question…
Of course it was (:>)
Though it is a little alarming that there was the slightest doubt.
Truly an self-effacing hero. I wondered at the time who the yaks belonged to.
Personally I would love to see someone wearing a lunar EVA suit summit Everest, why? cuz it hasnt been done.. and i am convinced that wearing such a suit will make the climb much more comfortable, and due to the rigidness off the suit, as difficult as a regular climb…
John
Is Phurba Dorje (most like Nepali National) is the first man to step on the moon surface, realistically speaking? I had no idea a single Nepali National had been to the moon.
If it is true what I am thinking, why NO recognizance of Nepali Heritage. Instead if somebody from China or India (big countries) was in place of Phurba, there would certainly have been a big news.
I wonder if there is correlation between Everest climbing and Landing moon. One thing for sure, endurance and adaptability of the individual. We Nepali most of us who grew up 30 yrs ago in the high mountains develop a strange stamina physically. I could climb those rocky mountains with anything by just holding some bushes or taking support of Rocks. We did not have any kind of heating systems, adapt to live what we got. As I was raised to be a priest/monk, I’ve too take a bath daily in near by rive daily to purify myself. Now I wonder if I can do it. FYI, we’re attacked by several countries, our ancestors fought without fear and save the country. During my teenage period when I was growing in those mountain, I could have dear without any fear to climb Mount Everest or could have gone with Astronaut but now I can’t since I fear that I may catch some severe cold or heart will be frozen, so many things would come to my mind because I have not innocent anymore.
Later–
Is Phurba Dorje (most like Nepali National) is the first man to step on the moon surface, realistically speaking? I had no idea a single Nepali National had been to the moon.
Ummmm…
It was a joke. The Onion is a humor magazine. The Apollo astronauts didn’t really have sherpas.
“Following the well-worn path of his ancestors, Dorje and his two yaks hauled dehydrated food, water, space helmets, binders full of flight schematics, and a large silver plaque commemorating the moon landing as he shepherded the astronauts through their historic journey to the moon. Although his efforts are well documented in internal NASA records, Dorje is largely absent from all photographs of the momentous event, as he was also the expedition’s unofficial photographer.”
But it says Phurba shepherded two of yaks. Who are those Yaks- are they Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz”?
Apparently, those two Yaks are not productive enough to since they sure didn’t provide milk. Obviously, Phurba is only the hero. 🙂
I thought of celebrating as one Nepali national handed landed in moon. But Onion only produce it strong smell, NOT the fact.