Subj : Re: Remains of Star Trek's 'Scotty' headed for space
To   : rec.arts.tv,rec.arts.sf.tv,alt.tv.star-trek.tos
From : John Schilling
Date : Mon Oct 17 2005 10:36:44

From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos

In article <1129495206.940321.94980@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, KoshN says...

>ANIM8Rfsk wrote:
>> in article 1129407232.414243.189780@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com, KoshN at
>> macthevorlon@yahoo.com wrote on 10/15/05 1:13 PM:

>> > Why not take up 100% of the cremated remains (can't weigh *that* much),
>> > and from orbit, using a small solid fuel rocket (~1" dia.), eject it
>> > further out so that it *never* comes back to Earth?  Seems like that
>> > would be a more fitting tribute to these people.

>> > KoshN

>> The shuttle is going about 17,000 mph. Escape velocity is like 27,000 mph.
>> You'd have to boost it to 10,000 mph.  Even if that was practical, doing the
>> paperwork to put a booster like that in the STS orbiter cargo bay wouldn't
>> be.

>Who says it's have to be in the shuttle?  Put 'em on a multistage
>rocket and the last stage sends them out at greater than escape
>velocity.

Multistage rockets capable of reaching escape velocity cost a minimum
of thirty million dollars, and the only customers are socialist entities
like NASA which are prohibited by law from engaging in crassly commercial
activities like recouping some of their costs by selling excess payload
capacity to entrepreneurs.

Rockets merely capable of reaching low Earth orbit can be had for five
million dollars or less, and are frequently operated by free-market
capitalists like, e.g., Elon "Paypal" Musk or the Russian Navy, and so
quite willing to take on any hitchiker who can pay for his weight.

Scotty doesn't weigh so much these days, so he can get an almost-free
ride to anyplace a capitalist rocket is flying.  Thirty million dollars
to send him into deep space, is probably beyond reach.


-- 
*John Schilling                    * "Anything worth doing,         *
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