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New York, 6:44 PM
Sun Dec 20
16 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #ussr more →

    Animal Astronauts: The Unsung Heroes of Space Travel

    How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster

    Industrial Designer Gives Old Soviet-Era Handset Just What It Was Missing—Bluetooth

    Brilliant Casemod Takes Us Back to the USSR, 1961

    Soviet Outpost In Kazakhstan Slated To Be America's Spaceport For Four Years Or More

    Soviet Arcade Machines Fully Explain Russians' Vodka Addiction
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of jonhapimp jonhapimp
    05/06/09

    In reply to Animal Astronauts: The Unsung Heroes of Space Travel
    what no manbearpig?
     Reply
    jonhapimp was starred jonhapimp was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    05/06/09

    @jonhapimp: Manbearpig is a wuss; he just slinks into the woods to avoid Al Gore.
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    05/06/09

    @Kaiser-Machead: Now, Scuzzlebutt was bad ass. Anything with Patrick Duffy for a leg is pure evil.
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of Pessimippopotamus Pessimippopotamus
    05/06/09

    In reply to Animal Astronauts: The Unsung Heroes of Space Travel
    Poor spacebat. Although Laika will always have my heart. Poor dog. You're 100x more awesome than me, even in death.
     Reply
    Pessimippopotamus was starred Pessimippopotamus was unstarred
    Image of bosskev bosskev
    05/06/09

    In reply to Animal Astronauts: The Unsung Heroes of Space Travel
    Astronimal? Wasn't that a short-lived TV series in the 80s starring Simon MacCorkindale?
     Reply
    bosskev was starred bosskev was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE
    05/06/09

    In reply to Animal Astronauts: The Unsung Heroes of Space Travel
    Let's be honest. All of these animals, especially the cats, were pussies compared to SpaceBat. They went in the comfort of inside the shuttle.

    But SpaceBat?

    He wasn't having that.

    He grabbed onto the side,

    And waved his hat around during the ride.


    Gods bless you SpaceBatCowboy.

     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was starred GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was unstarred
    Image of USB_Humping_Dog USB_Humping_Dog
    05/06/09

    @HeldForRansom_GitEmSteveDave: Sadly, I think SpaceBat technically didn't count as he/she burned up before actually reaching space.
     Reply
    USB_Humping_Dog was starred USB_Humping_Dog was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    05/06/09

    @HeldForRansom_GitEmSteveDave: SpaceBat was the reverse of Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove. Riding the bomb into the air, rather than to the ground.


    Yeeeehaw!

     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE
    05/06/09

    @USB_Humping_Dog: I've seen ice form on those tanks. My theory is he found a hollow in the insulation, and DIDN'T burn up. However, he didn't survive in space. Now he's hurtling through space, next to a mirror with some screaming guy in it, and will eventually find a civilization that can revive him. They can rebuild him. They have the technology.


    Or maybe I need some sleep and inhaled to many fumes from the weedwhacker I was wielding tonight.

     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was starred GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was unstarred
    Image of bosskev bosskev
    05/06/09

    @HeldForRansom_GitEmSteveDave: Fumes from your, uh, "weedwhacker"? Is that another kind of Volcano Vaporizer?
     Reply
    bosskev was starred bosskev was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE
    05/06/09

    @bosskev: Nope, a RedMax weedwhacker. I have ~10 acres of paddock/yard to mow, and you can't mow in the rain. So I slap on the metal blades and goto town w/the "brushcutter".
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was starred GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was unstarred
    Image of USB_Humping_Dog USB_Humping_Dog
    05/07/09

    @HeldForRansom_GitEmSteveDave: Isn't a weedwacker someone who abuses himself after smoking up?
     Reply
    USB_Humping_Dog was starred USB_Humping_Dog was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE
    05/07/09

    @USB_Humping_Dog: I think that's a weedwhipper.
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was starred GitEmSteveDave_ My Brute Dojo Code CDIAFIFE was unstarred
    Image of suckerpin suckerpin
    05/05/09

    In reply to How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster
    Honestly, who tries to launch a rocket on kerosene and salmon?!
     Reply
    suckerpin was starred suckerpin was unstarred
    Image of Homerjay is utterly alone. Homerjay is utterly alone.
    05/05/09

    @Beef Bacon...?: Good, It wasn't just me!
     Reply
    Homerjay is utterly alone. was starred Homerjay is utterly alone. was unstarred
    Image of Richard Human Richard Human
    05/05/09

    In reply to How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster
    You would think that someone writing a book would do their research, since this isn't the worst rocket launch in history.


    On February 15, 1996, during the flight of the first Long March 3 B heavy carrier rocket carrying Intelsat 708, the rocket veered off course 22 seconds after launch. It crashed 1,850 meters away from the launch pad into a nearby mountain village, destroying 80 houses according to the official count, and killing more than 500 civilians according to unofficial Chinese sources. China has claim to the title.

     Reply
    Richard Human was starred Richard Human was unstarred
    Image of Purple Dave Purple Dave
    05/06/09

    @Richard Human:
    China put the official death toll at 56, compared to USSR's official Nedelin death toll of 126 (thus, on paper, the Nedelin is officially the worst). US intelligence estimated the Nedelin at 190 and the Long March at over 200, but I'm curious where you got this "500+" estimate from.
     Reply
    Purple Dave was starred Purple Dave was unstarred
    Image of Richard Human Richard Human
    05/06/09

    @Purple Dave: You obviously were not that curious, considering that it is on the Wikipedia page for the Chinese Space Program, and it references a Chinese information site. Notice how my information posted lists unofficial CHINESE sources. Additionally, the author isn't much of an investigative author if he is content with what is written down on paper in official reports. If China put the house destroyed account at 80, officially, how could anyone believe that anything less than hundreds of people were killed.


    Bottom line is that the author is way over selling this greatest disaster ever, as the Russian explosion is no where near as grave as a rocket destroying an entire rural village, official numbers or not.

     Reply
    Richard Human was starred Richard Human was unstarred
    Image of Purple Dave Purple Dave
    05/06/09

    @Richard Human:
    Depending on the time of day and specific area, it's entirely possible to destroy a block of houses and not kill a single person. Parents will be at work and kids will be at school. Now, this _is_ China we're talking about, so it'd probably be more like fathers at work and kids at school, with most of the mothers stuck at home doing the housework and taking care of any infants (which _would_ be highly likely in a largely agrarian society...except that this is "one kid" China we're talking about). And there'd probably be some senior citizens as well. Given that this is China, 80 houses producing a death toll of 500+ is highly suspect, when a single household shouldn't run more than five people (parents, one kid max, and the father's parents). I don't know what methods the US intelligence people used to come up with their 200+ estimate, but unless there was some sort of public event taking place in the area, it feels like a more believable number. Doesn't mean it's right, just that it doesn't ring my illogic bell.
     Reply
    Purple Dave was starred Purple Dave was unstarred
    Image of DangerousDac DangerousDac
    05/05/09

    In reply to How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster
    The Nedelin May have carried a high death toll - But the biggest Rocket Disaster was the Russian Moon Rocket - The N-1.


    [en.wikipedia.org]


    Plagued with problems from the outset, due to being unable to balance 30(!) Rockets in the first stage alone, it shortly failed and crashed back down on the launch pad, creating the most powerful Rocket explosion of all time.

     Reply
    DangerousDac was starred DangerousDac was unstarred
    Image of Purple Dave Purple Dave
    05/06/09

    @DangerousDac:
    You, sir, have a strange idea of "worst". The Nedelin killed _at_least_ 190 people. If you add up every other confirmed space-related death, this one incident falls just shy of accounting for half of every space-related death. Now, the flip side of that is that we lost a satellite during launch in China, and they only confirmed 56 dead while US intelligence officials believe the final death toll was over 200 (which would make that the worst space-related disaster in history).


    Big explosions just cost time and money to clean up after, but dead people stay dead.

     Reply
    Purple Dave was starred Purple Dave was unstarred
    Image of drewthat drewthat
    05/06/09

    @Purple Dave:


    Unless you get some sort of new chemical reaction which reanimates them. Zombie space technicians!!!

     Reply
    drewthat was starred drewthat was unstarred
    Image of Purple Dave Purple Dave
    05/06/09

    @drewthat:
    That only happens in the 7th season.
     Reply
    Purple Dave was starred Purple Dave was unstarred
    Image of matthorn matthorn
    05/05/09

    In reply to How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster
    Did you mean: 'corrosive'?
    Did you mean: 'missile'?
    Did you mean: 'fueled'?
    Did you mean: to spell check before posting ?


    Oh No's! the corroseive fuled missle in xplodeng !

     Reply
    matthorn was starred matthorn was unstarred
    Image of Rabid Penguin Rabid Penguin
    05/05/09

    @matthorn:

    I'm sure he also meant: "...by the men who..."


    It's like a Where's Waldo of spelling and grammar mistakes... and you failed to find them all so you shall be put to death. For the Mother Russia!

     Reply
    Rabid Penguin was starred Rabid Penguin was unstarred
    Image of viatorci viatorci
    05/05/09

    @matthorn: Also "men" instead of of "me". There are always a few spelling errors but this article is ridiculous.
     Reply
    viatorci was starred viatorci was unstarred
    Image of Wilson Rothman Wilson Rothman
    05/05/09

    @viatorci, Rabid Penguin, matthorn: Boy, with jerks like you, who needs copyeditors?
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman was starred Wilson Rothman was unstarred
    Image of Wilson Rothman Wilson Rothman
    05/05/09

    @Wilson Rothman: Did I type "jerks"? Oh, typo. I meant "friends."
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman was starred Wilson Rothman was unstarred
    Image of Rabid Penguin Rabid Penguin
    05/05/09

    @Wilson Rothman: Hmmm. I didn't realize you had typed "jerks." I read "friends." But thanks for the correction.


    Btw, I only do what I do because I love you. Group hug?

     Reply
    Rabid Penguin was starred Rabid Penguin was unstarred
    Image of Wilson Rothman Wilson Rothman
    05/05/09

    @Rabid Penguin: For sure.
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman was starred Wilson Rothman was unstarred
    Image of Homerjay is utterly alone. Homerjay is utterly alone.
    05/05/09

    @Wilson Rothman: Lifehacker installed the Auto-Ban today that bans spelling nazi's. Does it work here too???
     Reply
    Homerjay is utterly alone. was starred Homerjay is utterly alone. was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    05/05/09

    In reply to How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster
    Oh c'mon, it can't be that hard Russia...
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
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