back to article Progress source replenishes international space station

The Russian Progress craft launched last week to bring supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) has successfully docked, bringing welcome supplies to the crew. The last two ISS replenishment missions failed. In April another Progress spun out, then in late June a SpaceX Falcon 9 blew up before it reached orbit. The …

  1. John Robson Silver badge

    El Reg units...

    Come on - what are these pounds - just a cheap shop?

    1. phuzz Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: El Reg units...

      Yup, spaceflight should be reported using SI units preferably unless you're measuring in jubs.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I'll get us started

        926 pounds of water measures 420801 cc which would fill a mere 0.0002 Olympic swimming pools.

      2. mhenriday
        Boffin

        Re: El Reg units...

        which - i e, jubs - are, like the corresponding units in SI or the British Imperial System, units of mass, not «weight», which measures force (mass x gravitational acceleration), whatever the Reg online standards converter may believe to be the case. How much do 420 kg of water weigh on the ISS ?... ;-)

        Henri

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

    3. Simon Harris

      Re: El Reg units...

      Is this water Evian or Lidl own brand? - the volume you'd get for 926 pounds is quite different.

    4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: El Reg units...

      Yeah, I thought even NASA had gone metric years ago. maybe they convert to imperial for press releases because they assume Billy-Bob-Joe down at the 5 and dime won't understand those new-fangled killa-grans

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: El Reg units...

        @ John Brown (no body); Reading a similar discussion a few weeks back, something occurred to me. Considering their adoption of many esoteric "English" units and their fervent defence of them in the face of the Euro-socialist commie metric system, it's surprising that the Americans chose a sensible and easy to understand decimal currency system instead of the (then-current) English/British monetary system of 20 shillings or 240 pence to the pound. Along with all the other esoteric weirdness like guineas, farthings, groats, florins, etc.

        I was born less than five years after decimalisation, and all that stuff seemed confusing and utterly archaic to *me*. But I'm sure it would be worth it for the yanks to adopt LSD (*) and be rid of that socialist base-10 ease-of-use that was no doubt snuck into their monetary system by undercover commies. ;-)

        (*) So-called because you have to be on LSD to understand it. That's why everyone was on it in the late 60s and why decimalisation was introduced as a successful attempt to curb drug abuse.

        1. ravenviz Silver badge

          Re: El Reg units...

          Metric conversion and decimalization both came in after significant social upheavals which provided a good opportunity for making a change when people were used to things "being different around here".

        2. Captain DaFt

          Re: El Reg units...

          "it's surprising that the Americans chose a sensible and easy to understand decimal currency system"

          Well, it was either that, or keep using this: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Table_of_the_Value_and_Weight_of_Coins%2C_1815.png

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          a sensible and easy to understand decimal currency system...

          ...except for the quarter.

          http://dilbert.com/strip/1993-03-20

          1. ravenviz Silver badge

            Re: a sensible and easy to understand decimal currency system...

            Good spot!

          2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            Re: a sensible and easy to understand decimal currency system...

            http://dilbert.com/strip/1993-03-20

            LOL, as a Brit I had to think a bit about that. The only "quarters" we have are specially minted commemorative coins rarely if ever seen in circulation. AKA a "crown" or 5 shilling coin (25p) for those younger readers, so is a "quarter" in both decimal and LSD.

        4. Vic

          Re: El Reg units...

          I was born less than five years after decimalisation, and all that stuff seemed confusing and utterly archaic to *me*

          I was born before decimalisation. And LSD is actually surprisingly easy to use.

          Try dividing the number of pennies in a pound by various integers. Do it both for decimal pounds and for LSD. One is significantly easier for rather more divisors...

          Vic.

      2. Tom Maddox Silver badge
        Trollface

        Re: El Reg units...

        Actually, the reason is much simpler: it's just to annoy the French.

      3. Nonymous Crowd Nerd

        Re: El Reg units...

        I believe that NASA have experienced many pounds of egg on face over this in the past. Maybe apocryphal, but I think I remember a lander going straight passed Mars as it failed to cope with dodgy unit conversions on the fly in its on-board micro-computer.... And a mirror that was supposed to reflect a laser beam back to earth but sadly aligned itself looking straight out into space owing to a similar error.

        I think hell will have dropped to a temperature of well below 32°F before NASA adopt any sensible units!

  2. OzBob

    Don't RV in orbit over NZ,....

    the maoris will claim 15% of the cargo as "koha" (the maori word for "culturally acceptable bribe").

    1. John Robson Silver badge

      Re: Don't RV in orbit over NZ,....

      @OzBob - "koha"

      That'd be "tax" then...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Don't RV in orbit over NZ,....

        What's the Greek word for that?

      2. OzBob

        Re: Don't RV in orbit over NZ,....

        ha ha, try adding 15K and 3 months to a housing subdivision permit, to consult with the local maori tribes about whether an ancient mythical monster lived where you want to build, and having to attend a "cleansing ceremony".

        "Tax"; sure, if you mean "extortion".

  3. Rikkeh

    Question for El Reg's space cadets

    I understand that the rockets which failed in the two recent supply missions are essentially identical (but for a launch escape tower) to the manned (or in Falcon 9's case, intended to be manned) versions.

    Is there any additional checking or quality control on the manned versions, or is it just dumb luck that we haven't had any 'naut's atop a failing rocket?

    1. marioaieie
      Mushroom

      Re: Question for El Reg's space cadets

      SpaceX and the other companies that will carry american astronauts are required to provide emergency escape systems.

      My understanding is that if this accident would have appended with astronauts on top, they will be able to escape. Actually, it is believed that the dragon capsule survived the explosion, but there was not enough time to tell the capsule to deploy the parachutes.

      Of course, there is always going to be something that they were not prepared for, but this IS rocket science.

    2. John Robson Silver badge

      Re: Question for El Reg's space cadets

      @Rikkeh

      There are alot more features on the man rated rockets, including things like escape pods for launch anomolies, and extra backup systesm (because we tend to think that losing a person is worse than losing their lunch).

      Additionally you have a meatsack on board who can try changing things...

      1. Simon Harris

        Re: Question for El Reg's space cadets

        "Additionally you have a meatsack on board who can try changing things..."

        Of course you could always sneakily disconnect all those knobs and buttons, so they only think they can change things.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    926 pounds of water

    I'm glad this issue is being dealt with by my fellow commentists/commesars/etc, since the phrase nearly caused me an aneurism and I've had to go lie down.

    1. Roger Greenwood

      Re: 926 pounds of water

      I thought they were supposed to be recycling it? Not exactly up to "Dune" standards yet then.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

        Re: 926 pounds of water

        At "Dune" standards they would be calculated in literjos

        a one-liter container for transporting water on Arrakis; made of high-density, shatterproof plastic with positive seal

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mixed units

    Here in the UK, I like my currency in decimal, my potatoes in pounds, my milk in pints, and my speed in miles per hour.

    The physicist in me likes his speed in metres per second, his volume in litres, and his weight in grams.

    What can I say - I'm in a constant state of anxious flux (measured in Weber per metre second squared)

    1. Simon Harris
      Pint

      Re: Mixed units

      As long as my beer comes in pints, I'm happy.

      1. John Robson Silver badge

        Re: Mixed units

        I've been known to cut timber to 2m6" before now...

        I don't mind mixing units, but elReg has standardised units for a reason...

        Pints are, however, the only valid measure for most liquids

    2. ScottK
      Headmaster

      Re: Mixed units

      Surely the physicist in you would prefer his weight in Newtons and his mass in grams.

  6. druck Silver badge
    Happy

    And I've heard...

    ...there are several packets of much wanted loo rolls.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: And I've heard...

      I've seen the ISS toilet paper stores.

      If they're much wanted it's only because they're having to use the Russian paper now.

      1. imanidiot Silver badge

        Re: And I've heard...

        I've heard no 'nauts like to use the russian stuff. Not even the Russians.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: And I've heard...

      Did it bring Soyuz sauce as well?

      1. jzl

        Re: And I've heard...

        No, because soyuz sauce doesn't go with rocket.

  7. Stevie

    Soyuz source replenishes international space station

    Three dead in mad free-fall-for-all over luxury edibles like soap.

  8. DavetheGreat

    Docked

    Watched the docking on USTREAM. Was very cool. I liked the way they communicated with each other about fixing the angles of approach. Amazing how something unmanned performs such a technical feat.

  9. MonsieurTM

    Ahem! The cargo was NOT delivered in a Soyuz at all. It was delivered in a Progress resupply ship. The two are VERY different. Specifically a Progress MS-02. TUT.

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