50 years since first orbit

[Dustin_80]

Not long ago there was a thread asking people who their heroes were.
Well this my friends is what a true hero looks like.


Yuri Gagarin.
Born 9 March 1934, Klushino, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.
Watch this excellent real time recreation of his pioneering first orbit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKs6i...ature=featured

[cs123]

The space race was an amazing time. I can't believe that the human race accomplished so much in a short period of time then basically walked away from it. I think we are regressing as a race.

If you ever get to Orlando it's well worth a look at the NASA centre to walk around the Saturn V rocket

[FTE72]

I still marvel at some of these missions, considering the technology of the day.
It is truly a shame that the media/us today think it is bearly newsworthy when a shuttle is launched, seems lucky to be mentioned.(i remember getting up early or staying up all night to watch the televised launches and mission status updates).
It is still one of our greatest accomplishments for man to leave our atmosphere and return.

[Burnout]

I remember listening to this on ABC Radio, my parents brought the 45 Recording of the event.

[redxm]

I just hope Im around long enough to see someone on mars

[gcg2503]

Google homepage makes a lot more sense now!

[Bud Bud]

Originally Posted by cs123

The space race was an amazing time. I can't believe that the human race accomplished so much in a short period of time then basically walked away from it. I think we are regressing as a race.

Spot on. I think that standards reflecting just about every facet of the human race have slipped overall from that era from the very public use of the F word these days to coercing or bullying someone into a fight so that it could be recorded and down loaded on you tube.

The 50's, 60's and even the 70's will go down in history as a golden period for mankind with the ultimate prize being the first nation to the moon.

Bud Bud

[Geez Louise]

When you think about it, space travel is amazing and for the amount of technology that was available at the time, it makes it even more amazing.

[hawke]

Dont forget that these things were designed with people using slide rules.

If you dont know what a slide rule is, Google it, and remember that Google didnt exist then either.

[bananas]

Originally Posted by hawke

Dont forget that these things were designed with people using slide rules.

If you dont know what a slide rule is, Google it, and remember that Google didnt exist then either.

That's VERY true. Hard to imagine how they would have created such an awesome machine without the use of things like autocad, graphics calculators and even the technology we have today. Must have been some incredibly smart and skillful dudes.

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Dustin_80

Not long ago there was a thread asking people who their heroes were.
Well this my friends is what a true hero looks like.


Yuri Gagarin.
Born 9 March 1934, Klushino, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.
Watch this excellent real time recreation of his pioneering first orbit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKs6i...ature=featured

I saw sputnik , but then I am oldish

[atec77]

Originally Posted by hawke

Dont forget that these things were designed with people using slide rules.

If you dont know what a slide rule is, Google it, and remember that Google didnt exist then either.

The slide rule nwas our calculator back in the 1960's high school , fast and easy , if you were really well of you had a programmable calculator from America

[Jim Goose]

Its kinda sad in a way how the cold war actually spawned all sorts of technology (mostly military, but some were aimed at the regualr people too) in what was really a short period in history.

But the days when people actually used their brains to make huge calculations certainly feels like it was a eon ago!

[Franco Cozzo]

I wonder when they'll do the next manned mission to another area in space, that would be great to watch now with all the technology, I wonder how far they can go.

[Rodp]

Couldn't think of a better way to be honoured.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-114

Those guys shot into orbit, stuck ontop of what essentially is a bomb and encased in a tin can had bowling balls for man parts.

The first three guys to head to the moon, I can't even wrap my head around being sent to another celestial body with zero knowledge or experience about whether they'll make it back.

That's the epitome of bravery and courage - not falling to bits then plating a dish on a cooking show. It's embarrassing how those two words have been diluted and no longer encapsulate what those pioneers achieved.

[LXL15]

As a young engineering student, seeing what some people have accomplished without the help of advanced technology is inspiring. I nearly died just learning basic engineering drawing skills, let alone actually designing something like that. Whenever I have read something about the early space flights, my heroes usually end up being the guys who did it all without computers and calculators.

One way to speed up a project: remove major system testing, so you HAVE to build it right the first time...

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by LXL15

As a young engineering student, seeing what some people have accomplished without the help of advanced technology is inspiring. I nearly died just learning basic engineering drawing skills, let alone actually designing something like that. Whenever I have read something about the early space flights, my heroes usually end up being the guys who did it all without computers and calculators.

One way to speed up a project: remove major system testing, so you HAVE to build it right the first time...

Dont forget that the ruskkies sent a dog into space first... ?

The same thing could be said about the sound barrier (which was important research at the time). When you read about how a bunch of Air Force guys basically took over the program because the Bell X-1 pilots were too afraid and wanted more money, youll think they were crazy to do it for free! after reading Chuck Yeagers book they really were!

There was only one X-1 built to break the sound barrier... and they had really no idea on how to do it.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Dont forget that the ruskkies sent a dog into space first... ?

The same thing could be said about the sound barrier (which was important research at the time). When you read about how a bunch of Air Force guys basically took over the program because the Bell X-1 pilots were too afraid and wanted more money, youll think they were crazy to do it for free! after reading Chuck Yeagers book they really were!

There was only one X-1 built to break the sound barrier... and they had really no idea on how to do it.

Theres a rumour (must be the day for them) of an earlier launch where the cosmonaut(s) died. IIRC, there was a ?Swedish/Norwegian? ham radio operator who picked up a signal where you could hear a Russian pilot/cosmonaut reporting problems with heat, then a short yell and then nothing but base trying to reach the pilot/cosmonaut.

I believe there is a recording around of it too.

No idea if its true, makes sense though. Theres a few other eery stories too. Theres others too, like the module that failed to separate from the boosters, it went into orbit but couldnt return. How much of it is true, I dont know.


Edit: Apparently it was Italian radio operators and plenty of yelling and cursing in Russian. Eh, I was close. The heat references may be right here, but I think I confused them with another account where heat was the cause of death in '61

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...anded-in-space



Edit 2: Heres a list of possible truths.

http://www.spacestation.carolan.info...Cosmonauts.htm


From the 2nd link, talk about pushing a wrong button. Jebus.

cryptic Morse code English message 'SOS to the entire world' from a stationary point in the sky. They concluded this was from a cosmonaut who had inadvertently rocketed into a translunar trajectory

[SSD-85]

Originally Posted by Bud Bud

Spot on. I think that standards reflecting just about every facet of the human race have slipped overall from that era from the very public use of the F word these days to coercing or bullying someone into a fight so that it could be recorded and down loaded on you tube.

The 50's, 60's and even the 70's will go down in history as a golden period for mankind with the ultimate prize being the first nation to the moon.

Bud Bud

The idea behind this statement is very true. To the point of it being depressing. Yuri Gagarin is a Hero in my eyes. He may have just been the first man in space, but the ideals behind this are what make the human spirit so great. Not this degenerate, backwards "civilisation" that we have today.

He was a credit to the positive achievements of the USSR & the Russian people in general. The apparent means to his death was quite saddening for me.

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by hawke

Dont forget that these things were designed with people using slide rules.

If you dont know what a slide rule is, Google it, and remember that Google didnt exist then either.

Buzz Aldrin actually used a slide rule whilst in the lunal module, making adjustments to trajectory and whatnot whilst decending to the moons surface.

That would be unheard of today.

[Streets]

Originally Posted by fmc351

Theres a rumour (must be the day for them) of an earlier launch where the cosmonaut(s) died. IIRC, there was a ?Swedish/Norwegian? ham radio operator who picked up a signal where you could hear a Russian pilot/cosmonaut reporting problems with heat, then a short yell and then nothing but base trying to reach the pilot/cosmonaut.

I believe there is a recording around of it too.

No idea if its true, makes sense though. Theres a few other eery stories too. Theres others too, like the module that failed to separate from the boosters, it went into orbit but couldnt return. How much of it is true, I dont know.


Edit: Apparently it was Italian radio operators and plenty of yelling and cursing in Russian. Eh, I was close. The heat references may be right here, but I think I confused them with another account where heat was the cause of death in '61

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...anded-in-space



Edit 2: Heres a list of possible truths.

http://www.spacestation.carolan.info...Cosmonauts.htm


From the 2nd link, talk about pushing a wrong button. Jebus.

Interesting reading here too

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/20...crying-in-rage