Tim Peake to return to Earth after six months floating around in space British astronaut Major Tim Peake and the rest of the crew aboard the Soyuz spacecraft will be zooming back to earth after a six-month long mission in space. The spacecraft is expected to touch down on Earth around 0900 GMT. The journey back to earth is more dangerous than going into space. During re-entry, the spacecraft …
No it's much worse than that. If he did it accidentally then he got the wrong wrong number, which, if two wrongs don't make a right, means he meant to get the right wrong number but didn't, so he was wrong, but it was an accident so that's OK, as long as the person on the receiving end wasn't signed up to TPS, in which case the ISS, or ESA, whichever one's right, could be on the wrong end of a hefty fine. I think that's right.
Mind you, it's better than the mistiling event that Columbia suffered. Coat, ta.
When the spacecraft is 10km away from the surface of the Earth, parachutes will open to slow the descent further for a crash landing at 5km/h.
So you're saying it'll take close to 2 hours for it to get to terra firma? Either that or it slows down a LOT right there at the end.
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It slows down a lot over the course of those 10km.
For it to take two hours to descend those final ten kilometres (i.e. at 5km/hour) would require an instant deceleration from the speed at which it is travelling to that 5km/hour speed the moment the 'chute opens.
At least, that's how I think it works. But then, I'm not even a brain surgeon, so rocket science is way beyond me.
Out of curiosity, I thought I'd check. The article is very simplified in terms of the descent and deceleration.
According to this, the descent is slowed from 755 feet per second (226.5m/s) to 5 feet per second (1.5m/s).
1.5m/s is 5.4km/hour - so rounded, 5km/hour is correct. However, the devil is in the detail.
The 'chutes aren't the sole method of deceleration: There are two pilot parachutes and a drogue which bring it down from the the 755 feet per second to 262 feet per second (78.6 m/s). The main 'chute then brings it down to 24 feet per second (7.2m/s) and finally (and quite literally at the very last second) some small engines fire to reduce the speed to that final 1.5m/s.
Fascinating stuff.
Prospective future employer: Tautology?
Taking Time Dilation into account. 0.005 seconds in 6 months? Hmm slim chance of a prospective past employer or a historic future employer there (don't ask me which of those two it would be).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation
"With reduced gravity in space, bodily fluids have been pushed upwards, increasing the pressure in the brain and causes the astronauts’ faces to swell and their eyesight to blur."
Given our biologicals have spent a bit of time evolving, on a planet that's revolving, under gravitational influence and spend most of our time with our heads at the top then it makes sense that the fluidic systems involved might over time decide to pump stuff in that general direction.
I suppose being in micro-gravity space is half/quarter[?] of the equivalent of standing on your head on earth for a couple of minutes whilst you drink a pint.
"enjoying the scents and smells of Planet Earth " What makes a scent a smell, or a smell a scent?"
Ooh, ooh, Sir, I know this one!
If people pay to put it on themselves, or dogs want to follow it, it's a scent. If people complain about it or dogs roll in it, it's a smell.
You mean apart from all the research, the re-engagement of hundreds of thousands of schoolkids in STEM, the hours of fascinating TV broadcasts and a general pushing of the envelope? Not a lot.
What has Anonymous Coward ever given us? PAHH!!
Mine's the one with the ISS reservation in the pocket
just so someone could say "ground control to Major Tim". (Someone did say that didn't they?)
Seriously, I'm not British so I don't have a stake in this but doesn't it come down to whether you want to play with the big boys or sulk in the corner? Because, for the big boys 80 million is small change. Go ask Elon.
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