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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 189 (June 14, 2008)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 06-14-2008 02:12 AM
   
 STS-1 commander John Young is photographed with the British contribution to the Space Shuttle program...  Ed Hengeveld
(thanks to J.L. Pickering for the photo) |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2121
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 06-14-2008 04:08 AM
Thats only half of the British contribution, Crip was using the other one!Adam |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-14-2008 05:10 AM
The mug was made in China; the tea came from India... but the "concept" was British (we're good at those)  Paul |
star61
Member Posts: 294
From: Bristol UK
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 06-14-2008 06:39 AM
This very special device, put together by several high tech companies under the guidance of the British government, was known as the "British Interplanetary Guidance Mechanism for Unplanned Gravitational situations" ...commonly referred to as BIG MUGs. Its use was seen as very important during launch cancellations, when crew may be annoyed at still being in a one-g environment. The control of hot fluids, from Tea urn despenser to crew digestive systems, is what lead to cancellation of the British Manned spaceflight program. After development of the BIG-MUGs system there was no money left for building the spacecraft. I believe NASA aquired all the hardware from the UK for £2 10s 6p.
This was only half of the program cost, but the UK government feel they got out at the right time. This was obvious as NASA only got to the point of using the device at the time of the shuttle, years after its development.Phil ps. Its Saturday morn and i'm a bit bored, sorry folks. |
robsouth
Member Posts: 769
From: West Midlands, UK
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted 06-14-2008 06:58 AM
Interesting cup. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 06-14-2008 08:25 AM
Ed, Phil, thanks!  (although Ed you really got me thinking what kind of contribution the UK made... Oh, and back then I'm not sure China was manufacturing almost everything we use!) Chris. PS - what's IN the mug? By looking at Young's face, it doesn't seem to taste that good... |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 06-14-2008 01:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by cspg:
PS - what's IN the mug? By looking at Young's face, it doesn't seem to taste that good...
Maybe it's orange juice. |
paulushumungus
Member Posts: 466
From: Burton, Derbyshire, England
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 06-14-2008 01:48 PM
Typical!!!! - All the best British ideas are always stolen by the rest of the world. |
Max Q
Member Posts: 399
From: Whyalla South Australia
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 06-15-2008 02:02 AM
Typical Britain supplied all the important Crew comfort items for NASA's space program The Coffee mug and the Snoopy Cap. Thats why its Great Britain. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 06-15-2008 09:02 AM
Britannia rules the waves...Wait a minute, no, the Moon rules the waves!
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