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Posted by tourdemars to Crew Exploration Vehicle at July 24, 2004 12:29 PM
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has successfully performed a series of drop tests at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona, to validate soft landing technology that can be used for astronaut crew capsules upon return to Earth. The technology makes use of an array of dual airbags that, upon ground impact, releases air from the outer bags of the system, allowing the capsule to settle softly to the ground on its inner airbags.TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.marsnews.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/726
How humiliating for the poor Lockheed junior engineer who has to stitch a couple yards of sail material into a ball and rig a big ol’ can of compressed air to it!
Oh yeah, “One Giant Leap For Mankind!”
This from the very same company that 20, 30, 40 and yes even 50 plus years ago developed systems that are still classified to this day!
As long as we continue to waste our time and effort with dumb chemical propulsion systems “aka Giant 15th century Chinese fireworks” that blow up 4 – 40% of the time and can only get at most 1 – 2% of their total weight into orbit and can never be used again - we are not moving ahead at all!
“There will always be people not ready for the future – that is no reason not to strive for it!”
Posted by: Some One at July 26, 2004 12:43 PM