(Credit: AP Photo)
Here is something you don’t see every day. Two Shuttles are now sitting locked and loaded for the upcoming Hubble repair mission. Think of all of the contained energy waiting to spring out.
Lamentations on Chemistry
Editorials of a Scientist Political
Lamentations on Chemistry 
At launch the main tank holds 109,000 kg of liquid hydrogen and 630,000 kg of liquid oxygen. SRB’s (combined): are1,000,000 kg, 16% aluminum. Diddle latent heats of phase transitions and whatnot… 4.3 kt nuclear equivalent overall. If they are insured there will be a launch accident that magically transforms them into cash. Look upon it as a chance for Bush the Lesser to be presidential.
As usual, Uncle Al is omniscient: I was just wondering whether some NASA number cruncher had determined the safe distance between the two nascent bombs. Sounds like the answer depends on how close to the ground the one goes off- everything is proximity. Given the obvious destructive effects of the Wall St. implosion for the party of the Lesser the conspiracy theorist in me wonders about the anything with the potential to change the subject. Me & Tom Clancy…
I think there is some foreshortening in the photo. Luckily an explosion of either machine would last a few seconds, so a nuclear-like instantaneous release of energy is unlikely.
I suggest all readers of ‘LOC’ oppose the bail-out plan offered by secretary Paulson. It will give him absolute power, unchecked by courts to hand over the tax-payers money to foreign banks and the very same people who caused the crisis. Paulson was part of the problem at Goldman, and as such he is the least qualified person to carry out such a program. The end result will be higher taxes and a devaluation of the currency. It is Bush’s parting gift to all those who voted for him.
The congress is supposed to be working on the structure of a separate entity to manage the debt that the Gov’t will acquire in this fiasco. There are so many voices singing in this Wagnerian opera that I can’t fathom what, if any, counsel our representatives are taking from constituents.
As long as Uncle Al is exploding (rather than detonating) two 4.3 kt party favors… The (initial) $700 billion Wall Street bailout (in addition to the ~$200 billion already “loaned”),
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/09/20/treasurys-financial-bailout-proposal-to-congress/
“Decisions by the Secretary [of the Treasury] pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.”
“Subsection (b) of section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking out the dollar limitation contained in such subsection and inserting in lieu thereof $11,315,000,000,000.”
US GDP 2007 = $13.84 trillion
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/overview.html
Budget of the United States Government, FY 2007
“For 2007, the Budget forecasts a decline in the deficit to 2.6 percent of GDP, or $354 billion.”
It’s always a good time to buy ammo.
I was lucky enough to see the very first shuttle launch, way back in April of 1981. Even at several miles away on the coast line, was horrendously loud, but the thing just whoosed up and out of sight in a few dozen seconds, just leaving that exhaust trail. Imressive. I’m heard the night launches put the daytime ones to shame, which would take a lot.
I’m envious. I would love to see a rocket launch one day. The problem is that Florida is way off the trail.