This entry was written by Stanislav , posted on Thursday April 12 2012 , filed under NonLoper
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I distinctly remember the USSR was going broke at that time too. The only difference is the USSR actually had a vision, and didn't let money issues interfere. We're a country of spineless bean-counters, not doers.
Did it ever function? Apollo was a mess and that piece of junk known as the space shuttle was a fine political cock up i.e expensive, over engineered and a death trap... The moment they get clue, Obama pisses on the party.
I'm glad I'm in the UK otherwise I'd be really annoyed.
As many successes and firsts as the Soviet space program had, the message is a bit diluted by including the space station. If you're going to observe that two US shuttles blew up, you could also point out that it wasn't until after Skylab was already up and had a couple of missions under it's belt that a Cosmonaut actually made it to a Soviet space station and back to earth with his life. Just sayin.
This is a fun little comic, but it's pretty misleading. The USSR was certainly
whooping the US at the beginning of the space race, but they fell behind
in the 60's and there are many achievements by the US that they simply
never equaled. It also leaves out a lot of US firsts, like the first rendezvous in space.
The USSR only beat the US to the "man in space" by a few weeks, and unlike
Alan Sheppard, Yuri Gagarin did not actually control his craft at all and
didn't even land with it (a fact the USSR hid because it violates the rules
on aeronautics records).
The first woman in space is a rather weak argument since it's not a real
demonstration of equality, it was done purely for propaganda. Women
weren't allowed to be cosmonauts until 2 years after the US started
allowing women astronauts.
The mid-60s is where the USSR started to really fall behind, and some of
their last few firsts were accomplished in a rushed/slightly dangerous manner.
The US did the first docking of 2 craft in space. We started doing missions
long enough to do actual work. We did EVAs where actual work was done.
The US launched the first craft that was capable of changing it's orbit.
We orbited the moon first.
We sent more probes, farther than the USSR did.
etc etc...so yes...we won the space race in the end, but the Soviet program
was/is impressive nonetheless.
With any luck, Putin will restore the USSR (under a different name); it will merge with the EU, and the combined country can go on to have many joyful firsts.
Which of the examples you are thinking of resulted in something even vaguely resembling the original Roman Empire (in some way other than purely geographically?)
There will be new empires in the future. But they won't be Roman - or Soviet. History "rhymes," but does not repeat itself.
The rednecks didn't kill the American space program. The bureaucrats and neo-Puritans who want to "solve our problems here on Earth, first" did that.
Aside from that, good infographic.
Dear Rudolf Winestock,
> The rednecks didn’t kill the American space program.
I didn't think so. The picture is merely a cruel caricature, like a surrendering Frenchman or a German in a Pickelhaube.
> The bureaucrats and neo-Puritans who want to “solve our problems here on Earth, first” did that.
I though it was the nation going broke which did it.
Yours,
-Stanislav
I distinctly remember the USSR was going broke at that time too. The only difference is the USSR actually had a vision, and didn't let money issues interfere. We're a country of spineless bean-counters, not doers.
After the USSR collapsed there was less and less political need to have NASA functioning.
Did it ever function? Apollo was a mess and that piece of junk known as the space shuttle was a fine political cock up i.e expensive, over engineered and a death trap... The moment they get clue, Obama pisses on the party.
I'm glad I'm in the UK otherwise I'd be really annoyed.
As many successes and firsts as the Soviet space program had, the message is a bit diluted by including the space station. If you're going to observe that two US shuttles blew up, you could also point out that it wasn't until after Skylab was already up and had a couple of missions under it's belt that a Cosmonaut actually made it to a Soviet space station and back to earth with his life. Just sayin.
Dear RS,
Good point, thank you.
(And I should note that I am not the author of the graphic.)
Yours,
-Stanislav
This is a fun little comic, but it's pretty misleading. The USSR was certainly
whooping the US at the beginning of the space race, but they fell behind
in the 60's and there are many achievements by the US that they simply
never equaled. It also leaves out a lot of US firsts, like the first rendezvous in space.
The USSR only beat the US to the "man in space" by a few weeks, and unlike
Alan Sheppard, Yuri Gagarin did not actually control his craft at all and
didn't even land with it (a fact the USSR hid because it violates the rules
on aeronautics records).
The first woman in space is a rather weak argument since it's not a real
demonstration of equality, it was done purely for propaganda. Women
weren't allowed to be cosmonauts until 2 years after the US started
allowing women astronauts.
The mid-60s is where the USSR started to really fall behind, and some of
their last few firsts were accomplished in a rushed/slightly dangerous manner.
The US did the first docking of 2 craft in space. We started doing missions
long enough to do actual work. We did EVAs where actual work was done.
The US launched the first craft that was capable of changing it's orbit.
We orbited the moon first.
We sent more probes, farther than the USSR did.
etc etc...so yes...we won the space race in the end, but the Soviet program
was/is impressive nonetheless.
With any luck, Putin will restore the USSR (under a different name); it will merge with the EU, and the combined country can go on to have many joyful firsts.
Dear ErisGuy,
This is about as realistic as someone restoring the Roman empire.
Yours,
-Stanislav
Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.
I must point out, Stanislav, that this too has been done before with some success.
Dear Dennis,
Which of the examples you are thinking of resulted in something even vaguely resembling the original Roman Empire (in some way other than purely geographically?)
There will be new empires in the future. But they won't be Roman - or Soviet. History "rhymes," but does not repeat itself.
Yours,
-Stanislav
Both Mussolini and Hitler adopted a Roman Empire theme for their reign; that's what I was referring to.
Dear Dennis,
The Little Caesars Pizza Co. also adopted a Roman theme. But the Roman Empire did not rise again as a result.
Yours,
-Stanislav
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