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GeneralRe: So how do I explain that? Pin
GuyThiebaut3-Jan-19 1:48
professionalGuyThiebaut3-Jan-19 1:48 
GeneralRe: So how do I explain that? Pin
Mark_Wallace3-Jan-19 2:08
Mark_Wallace3-Jan-19 2:08 
GeneralRe: So how do I explain that? Pin
jschell5-Jan-19 6:48
jschell5-Jan-19 6:48 
JokeRe: So how do I explain that? Pin
dandy725-Jan-19 12:49
dandy725-Jan-19 12:49 
GeneralRe: So how do I explain that? Pin
OriginalGriff5-Jan-19 19:57
mveOriginalGriff5-Jan-19 19:57 
GeneralFirst picture(s) arrive from New Horizons Pin
OriginalGriff3-Jan-19 0:41
mveOriginalGriff3-Jan-19 0:41 
GeneralRe: First picture(s) arrive from New Horizons Pin
Slacker0073-Jan-19 1:57
professionalSlacker0073-Jan-19 1:57 
GeneralRe: First picture(s) arrive from New Horizons Pin
Eric Lynch3-Jan-19 3:49
Eric Lynch3-Jan-19 3:49 
I don’t think the average person, myself included, can ever fully understand the magnitude of this accomplishment. In fact, the quantities involved are so far beyond the human experience, I suspect even the mission scientists and engineers struggle to truly visualize them.

First, consider the distance. Assume you wanted to emulate this trip. So, you decide to continually fly round-trip from New York to Sydney, until you equal the distance. Bad news here. It would take over 200,000 round-trip flights. Assuming you fly one leg of this round-trip, every single day, you would be flying for a bit over a thousand years.

The good news is that, if you’re willing to wait that long, you’ll save a bit on the trip. At around $200M for the commercial flights, you’d beat the $700M price tag for New Horizons Smile | :)

Next, consider the navigation. Imagine you fire a bullet moving about 20 times as fast as the average rifle round. Your target is a different fast-moving bullet. Finally, make the problem a bit more difficult by requiring that you ricochet off two other fast-moving bullets on the way. Oh, and don’t forget that distance we talked about earlier. Simple right?

Then, consider the engineering. You decide to build a contraption that can accomplish almost all of these goals. Though, at that point you’re “only” aiming at that second bullet. You haven’t decided you’ll ricochet off of it yet.

So, you plan and lobby, lobby and plan…for a couple of decades. Then, you get permission (and funding) to actually build the thing. A few years later its built and launched. Yeah! Success, right?

Nope, you get to wait, and watch it travel, and wait…for an additional decade. Along the way, you decide that second ricochet would be really cool! You even find another bullet to hit. Finally, decades later, if you’ve got the patience, and are still around, you get to enjoy the payoff.

All done right? Maybe. They’re talking about another ricochet and another bullet Smile | :)

Personally, I am in awe of this accomplishment. And, more, as an engineer myself, the patience it must require to begin a project that might not be completed until after you’re gone.

Kudos, NASA! Home run on this one!

Now, can we talk about that Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway? Are you sure about it? Can I talk you out of it, please? Smile | :)
GeneralAlternative CCC OTD Pin
Pete O'Hanlon3-Jan-19 0:28
mvePete O'Hanlon3-Jan-19 0:28 
GeneralRe: Alternative CCC OTD Pin
OriginalGriff3-Jan-19 0:35
mveOriginalGriff3-Jan-19 0:35 
GeneralRe: Alternative CCC OTD Pin
Pete O'Hanlon3-Jan-19 1:42
mvePete O'Hanlon3-Jan-19 1:42 
GeneralRe: Alternative CCC OTD Pin
Michael Martin3-Jan-19 3:00
professionalMichael Martin3-Jan-19 3:00 
GeneralAlternative CCC OTD / Alternative clue Pin
Nagy Vilmos3-Jan-19 3:21
professionalNagy Vilmos3-Jan-19 3:21 
GeneralOi! Walterhevedeich! Where's the CCC? Pin
OriginalGriff2-Jan-19 22:22
mveOriginalGriff2-Jan-19 22:22 
GeneralUrgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
Dom Sinclair2-Jan-19 22:05
Dom Sinclair2-Jan-19 22:05 
GeneralRe: Urgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
Mark_Wallace2-Jan-19 22:11
Mark_Wallace2-Jan-19 22:11 
GeneralRe: Urgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
Dom Sinclair2-Jan-19 22:34
Dom Sinclair2-Jan-19 22:34 
GeneralRe: Urgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
Johnny J.2-Jan-19 22:39
professionalJohnny J.2-Jan-19 22:39 
GeneralRe: Urgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
OriginalGriff2-Jan-19 23:23
mveOriginalGriff2-Jan-19 23:23 
GeneralRe: Urgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
Johnny J.2-Jan-19 23:26
professionalJohnny J.2-Jan-19 23:26 
GeneralRe: Urgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
OriginalGriff2-Jan-19 23:32
mveOriginalGriff2-Jan-19 23:32 
GeneralRe: Urgently Required: Visual Studio Extension to detect presence of kitten(s) on Keyboard Pin
OriginalGriff2-Jan-19 23:32
mveOriginalGriff2-Jan-19 23:32 
GeneralHappy New Year to all! Pin
glennPattonWork32-Jan-19 22:02
professionalglennPattonWork32-Jan-19 22:02 
GeneralRe: Happy New Year to all! Pin
Mike Hankey2-Jan-19 22:07
mveMike Hankey2-Jan-19 22:07 
GeneralRe: Happy New Year to all! Pin
Mark Parity3-Jan-19 0:06
Mark Parity3-Jan-19 0:06 

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