Jamie123 Posted June 19, 2013 Report Share Posted June 19, 2013 (edited) Summer is here again (I hope) and what would be summer without a great Summer Adventure?I have mine planned already. I'm going to be the first Briton to walk on the moon!"How will you do that?" I hear you ask. Well, let me explain. A few years ago I read a wonderfuil book by a French gentleman named Jules Vearne, who had a wonderful idea of getting to the moon using a big cannon and lots of gunpowder. What a pity those clever people in NASA never read it! It would have saved them a fortune in rocket fuel (but I suppose we would never have had nonstick frying pans, so its all swings and roundabouts).In any case I'm a bit nervous around gunpowder, but I made a few clever modifications to the design and have a perfect substitute! As every engineer knows, all great designs begin on the back of an envelope, so here's mine:Here's what happens: The "pullers" let go of the rope, causing the spring to expand, propelling my space-ship - our converted family car - through the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere and into "outer space". (Hope I'm not getting too technical for you.)I would have liked to invite everyone on this forum to the launch, but unfortunately there will only be room in the spectator area for really important people. (Like Bradley and Angelina Pitt, the Dalai Lama and the actress who played Servelan in the 1970's Sci Fi show "Blake's 7". You know the sort of people I mean.)So now we move on the more detailed phase of the design shown below. (Apologies for the highly technical calculations, but we engineers like to be very precise about these things.)Anyway, after a pleasant journey of 3.5 days I make a perfect 3-point (well, actually 4-wheel) landing on the lunar surface. Up with the Union Jack! Three verses of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" (sung in honour of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing), For England, Harry (Potter) and St. George!But how do I return home? Fear not, for as you can see I have drawn in a "Selenite" ("moon-man" for you non techie-types) who is able to use his translunary powers to send me back on a perfect trajectory to splash down somewhere off South End.Anyway the best part is still to come. Here's a diagram of me being knighted by the Queen for "services to the UK space program and yah-boo-sucks to NASA!"A perfect end to a perfect summer! Edited June 19, 2013 by Jamie123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted June 19, 2013 Report Share Posted June 19, 2013 Summer is here again (I hope) and what would be summer without a great Summer Adventure?I have mine planned already. I'm going to be the first Briton to walk on the moon!"How will you do that?" I hear you ask. Well, let me explain. A few years ago I read a wonderfuil book by a French gentleman named Jules Vearne, who had a wonderful idea of getting to the moon using a big cannon and lots of gunpowder. What a pity those clever people in NASA never read it! It would have saved them a fortune in rocket fuel (but I suppose we would never have had nonstick frying pans, so its all swings and roundabouts).In any case I'm a bit nervous around gunpowder, but I made a few clever modifications to the design and have a perfect substitute! As every engineer knows, all great designs begin on the back of an envelope, so here's mine:Here's what happens: The "pullers" let go of the rope, causing the spring to expand, propelling my space-ship - our converted family car - through the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere and into "outer space". (Hope I'm not getting too technical for you.)I would have liked to invite everyone on this forum to the launch, but unfortunately there will only be room in the spectator area for really important people. (Like Bradley and Angelina Pitt, the Dalai Lama and the actress who played Servelan in the 1970's Sci Fi show "Blake's 7". You know the sort of people I mean.)So now we move on the more detailed phase of the design shown below. (Apologies for the highly technical calculations, but we engineers like to be very precise about these things.)Anyway, after a pleasant journey of 3.5 days I make a perfect 3-point (well, actually 4-wheel) landing on the lunar surface. Up with the Union Jack! Three verses of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" (sung in honour of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing), For England, Harry (Potter) and St. George!But how do I return home? Fear not, for as you can see I have drawn in a "Selenite" ("moon-man" for you non techie-types) who is able to use his translunary powers to send me back on a perfect trajectory to splash down somewhere off South End.Anyway the best part is still to come. Here's a diagram of me being knighted by the Queen for "services to the UK space program and yah-boo-sucks to NASA!"A perfect end to a perfect summer!I am quite surprised that you have not planned on taking your trip with Wallace and Gromit! For their experience and safety if nothing else.The Traveler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted June 19, 2013 Report Share Posted June 19, 2013 Yeh but you might get a bit annoyed with Wallace after awhile.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talisyn Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 It sounds like a great plan to me! I wish I could go help you, but we're going to Yellowstone this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Hey - if that caldera goes up during your trip, you may be running into Jamie sooner than you think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnn727 Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Hate to tell you this with all the highly technical drawings you included but the "famous red spot' is on Jupiter not Saturn (unless there is some other famous red spot on Saturn no one knows about?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slamjet Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Someone needs to spend a little more money on what they're smoking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 For those of us without giant springs but still want to know what it is like to try to go to space...https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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