 | Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years. Thanks, CNET Support |
General discussion
Is this part of Missile Defense?
ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - The U.S. Defence Department's plans to launch a rocket over the North Atlantic were postponed indefinitely Thursday amid concerns in Newfoundland that falling debris could hit offshore oil platforms.
Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams said he was stunned when he learned spent booster rockets from a Titan IV rocket, which was to be launched early Monday from Cape Canaveral, Fla., were expected to fall within 25 kilometres of the Hibernia platform.
Col. Stefano Boccino, of the U.S. Air Force Space Command at Cape Canaveral, said the launch was postponed because of mechanical problems with ground support equipment.
When asked if the missile's trajectory was an issue, he said: "Right now we don't have an answer to that. I believe that will be readdressed once a new launch date is confirmed."
"I don't think the Americans were aware, or had really thought it through, as to how close this was to the Hibernia platform," Williams said following two urgent phone conversations with McLellan and a call to Frank McKenna, Canada's ambassador to the United States.
"Why would they drop a piece of space debris out of the sky and take a chance that it happens to be 15 miles in the right spot? If it's off, it could obviously have very serious consequences."
Each rocket booster weighs more than 10,000 kilograms, he said.
There are 234 crew aboard the Hibernia platform, which is about 315 kilometres southeast of St. John's.
The oil rig was lucky that they had "mechanical problems" before the booster (possibly)landed on the rig.
Discussion is locked
61 - 90 of 73 Posts
- Collapse
- Collapse -
O.K. then, let's pretend that I'm in an airplane flying toward that platform and 10 miles away I kick a 113 foot crate out of the door. What are the odds of that crate hitting that platform?
- Collapse -
This is not about airplanes, it's about a booster rocket. And a lot are American, and nobody is complaining about airplanes.
Many planes fly over the oil rigs every day and many of them are from the US. Nobody is concerned about an aiplane hitting the oil rig.
Flight paths
IF you want to see where planes fly when they leave certain cities, and head for Europe, click the link and enter your info.
You do know where the oil rigs are located on a map, don't you?
- Collapse -
Do I know? I was a navigator on an airplane for years. Actually, I was a navigator/bombardier, so I'm quite familier with the odds of hitting something with something falling from the air. "Oops" on you.
- Collapse -
and with a launch that they are having all kinds of trouble with they can tell within 15 miles where booster rockets uncontrolled will land. thats BS
- Collapse -
whose business it is to calculate these things. We've been firing off rockets for decades and it's not unusual in the slightest to know within a very small range where pieces will splash down.
A complete non-issue. But rave on.
- Collapse -
Launches from Canaveral pretty much travel over open ocean for the first several minutes. Now I don't know if there are things like oil rigs out there or not, but I don't recall any in that area.
Canaveral is on an island on the eastern side of Florida, and all launches travel east as I recall. I can't say there are no islands or rigs out that way personally, but as I recalled it was set up to avoid what existed at it's establishment.
I think the other fears discussed may be overblown, but it's not an exact comparison to the launches from Canaveral IMO.
JMO
Roger
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
- Collapse -
My point was that something could go wrong with any launch and cause damage on the ground. It's a very tiny chance because of all the precautions that have been put in place. But because of the sheer numbers of launches I bet that tiny chance is much higher than the chance this booster will come down on the oil rig.
A big meteor could come down and hit the rig as well. What are the chances of that? Are they greater or smaller than the chances the booster will hit it?
Try this on for size:
http://www.truthpizza.org/logic/bignum.htm
- Collapse -
And polar orbit launchings from there of course would travel over or near much populated coastline.
I agree the risk is minimal though, no more than we face every day.
I was just trapped into thinking of the common orbitals that space flights use I guess.
JMO
Roger
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
- Collapse -
a booster will fall in the North Atlantic.
- Collapse -
as well as photo documentation of things like active volcanism, or such as deforestation, or any other event that photos may be desired generally means polar orbits.
Basically the height and lenght of time required for each orbit determines how far the earth turns under each revolution.
JMO
Roger
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
CNET Forums
Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Roadshow Autos
Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic