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Author
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Topic: British Interplanetary Society's Spaceflight
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Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 03-09-2007 05:08 PM
   
Got the page proofs for my article in the May issue today, so I'm still in the running... |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 03-27-2007 05:36 PM
I've sent in a few other things to Spaceflight, including a letter to the editor concerning a new discovery. I recently obtained some declassified documents from 1958-1960 that shed a little more light on the early U.S. ferret satellites. I also have a photo of one.Have also sent them my short article on the Vandenberg tracking ship discussed in the CS thread on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 04-06-2007 04:12 PM
Just got the page proofs for my article on Blue Gemini. It will appear in the June issue. I'm not sure, but I think that puts me at four issues this year so far... |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 04-10-2007 08:18 AM
BIS June 2007 issue of "Spaceflight" magazine will have my article on New Horizons. Would like to thank cS forum-member Ben Cooper for the use of his NH check out photos.  |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 05-02-2007 03:07 PM
Okay, the June issue will have my article on Blue Gemini and also a one-page letter to the editor concerning the Samos ferret satellites.I'm about to submit a few other things as well. One is a pretty short article about the first ship sent to work on the missile program at Patrick AFB in Florida. It was a former WWII landing ship sent there in 1951. Not terribly glamorous but a small footnote to history. Another article that I'm working on concerns proposed variants to the Lunar Module. This was pitched by Grumman around 1967 or 1968 in the form of about a dozen artist conceptions. That's also a relatively short article as well. I continue to do research on the space and missile tracking ships and am coming up with good data and some good photos. The only thing slowing me down is a lack of really good photos for all the ships--about two dozen of them starting in the 1950s (with only a couple of them in service today). |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 05-03-2007 12:51 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Dwayne Day:
I'm not sure, but I think that puts me at four issues this year so far...
I'm proposing that this forum be renamed. From now on it would be called: The Dwayne v. Philip contest.  Chris. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 05-13-2007 04:16 AM
Well, I have to say Dwayne's 9-page article on "The Blue Gemini blues" is superb!
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Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 05-14-2007 08:30 AM
Thank you, that is most kind. But do me a favor and tell the editor that. I don't need the ego stroking, but it's nice if the editor knows that you liked the article. |
heng44
Member Posts: 3386
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 05-14-2007 08:36 AM
I second Philip's comments. The article was very pleasant reading and I can't wait for the piece on the Gemini paraglider drop-tests.The editor probably knows by now that we like them, because I assume he reads this thread. And if he doesn't, he should! Ed |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 05-31-2007 09:28 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Philip:
Well, I have to say Dwayne's 9-page article on "The Blue Gemini blues" is superb!
I agree, very interesting indeed and nice to see English/metric units included but I'm confused as to the data on p232: "The antenna would be... one foot (3m) high". Is it one foot-0.3m or 10 feet-3m?And I very much appreciated the last sentence: "It (Blue Gemini) never got the chance and ultimately it was the robots that defeated the Air Force's human space flight ambitions." Will NASA human spaceflight succumb too? Chris. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 05-31-2007 11:18 AM
quote:
Originally posted by cspg:
Is it one foot-0.3m or 10 feet-3m?
I'll have to look at that.I do the conversion from English to metric units. However, it makes me somewhat uneasy, not only because I know the English units better. I've been warned by several people that there's a danger in making these conversions because of rounding. I think that their warning is that what often happens is that somebody will convert the English units to metric and round off and then a reader who is used to the English units will convert them back, rounding off again. The result is that the units get less accurate as they get converted. I think that the only real solution is to use the original figures and then put the conversion in parenthesis. Hopefully the reader will understand that the conversion is an approximation and not exact. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 05-31-2007 11:22 AM
quote:
Originally posted by heng44:
The editor probably knows by now that we like them, because I assume he reads this thread. And if he doesn't, he should!
I don't think he does. But please, a letter to the editor wouldn't hurt. I've been submitting both short and long pieces lately, and if you enjoy them, let them know. (This doesn't make me any money, by the way.)I have several articles in the works or submitted. These include: - a short article on the tracking ship Vandenberg, based upon a Space Review article from a few weeks ago
- a very short article about the first ship that was used at Cape Canaveral for missile support
- a long, two-part article about the Gemini paraglider program (thanks to Ed's help)
- a midsize article I co-wrote with Glen Swanson about proposed Apollo Lunar Module upgrades
I've got a bunch of other articles in the works that I'll mention shortly. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 05-31-2007 11:23 AM
quote:
Originally posted by cspg:
And I very much appreciated the last sentence: "It (Blue Gemini) never got the chance and ultimately it was the robots that defeated the Air Force's human space flight ambitions." Will NASA human spaceflight succumb too?
No, I don't think so. NASA flies humans in space for prestige reasons. The military sought to fly them for practical reasons, conducting military missions. When they could not find a mission that justified the cost and required the human, they canceled their program.
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cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 06-01-2007 12:56 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Dwayne Day:
When they could not find a mission that justified the cost and required the human, they canceled their program.
Smart move!Chris. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-01-2007 08:40 AM
quote:
Originally posted by cspg:
Smart move!
Well, it took the military a long time to figure this out, and they spent a lot of money in the meantime. I am highly skeptical of manned military space missions and I also think that the US military has often pursued overly ambitious projects in space. However, as I noted in the Blue Gemini article, I think that this was one case where the Air Force had the right approach and they should have been given the opportunity to fly. Maybe if they had flown a few Gemini missions they would have realized much sooner that MOL was not a good program and they could have canceled it earlier, saving money. Instead, they stayed grounded for a long time but continued to spend a lot of money on MOL.
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Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 06-01-2007 10:46 AM
Dwayne, I can confirm two things: - BIS editor did read this post
- Most of your work is in the pipeline
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Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-01-2007 04:22 PM
A few more things I've got in the works: - future article on ASSET reentry vehicle
- future article on PRIME lifting body
- future article on the USNS Croatan cruise where they fired off a bunch of rockets
- the articles on the tracking ships that I keep promising
- the series of articles on post-Corona reconnaissance satellites that I've been sitting on for years.
Taking these from the bottom up: - I'm going to get to the Eisenhower Library in early July and I'm hoping to finally get some good photos to accompany the first article in the series. That's what has been holding me up; no good photos of all the people involved in the early reconnaissance satellite program. These articles will be long, but they will cover a lot of stuff not written about in detail before, like the KH-7 and KH-8 Gambit satellites as well as the Samos E-6, the proposed SPARTAN satellite, and other things.
- I have a lot of good info on the tracking ships and just have not found the ambition to write the articles (with me it's not so much about time as ambition--I need to _want_ to write something; if I do, I find the time to do it).
- while at NASA HQ a few weeks ago I found a lot of great photos of the Croatan's 1965 cruise which I wrote about here.
Trust me, the photos are really good even if the subject of a WWII aircraft carrier firing sounding rockets doesn't interest you all that much.As for ASSET and PRIME, I had no interest in or real knowledge of these programs until a trip to a California archives a few weeks ago. That's when I came across a great collection of about a dozen really nice photos of PRIME, which was a lifting body shape launched by the USAF on ballistic flights in the mid-1960s. I have since obtained a lot of great photos from Joel Powell on ASSET and PRIME. So I need to write articles around them. In addition, I have an article on CIA intelligence and the Soviet lunar program that I've been sitting on for over a year that I want to publish. I need to update it with the latest information, which I mentioned here. Plus I've obtained a lot of great info on some unflown robotic spacecraft, including Surveyor rovers, Mars and Venus orbiters, and some other lunar missions. Just so much stuff to write about and not enough time. |
Paolo
Member Posts: 13
From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 06-09-2007 01:01 PM
Wow! Were it not for articles by Dwayne and Philip and a very few occasional others I would not subscribe to SF |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-10-2007 04:40 AM
I particularly like the offical NASA photo (p252 of July BIS) showing Queen Elizabeth II being met by Michael Griffin at Goddard with his hand in his pocket. As the caption says, "Griffin throws any kind of royal protocol to the wind and elects to greet (the Queen) with hand in pocket." Quality.Paul |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-10-2007 08:23 PM
quote:
Originally posted by gliderpilotuk:
I particularly like the offical NASA photo (p252 of July BIS) showing Queen Elizabeth II being met by Michael Griffin at Goddard with his hand in his pocket.
Well, not to sound too snarky, but she ain't our Queen...
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Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-10-2007 08:25 PM
I recently received the page proofs for the first of my two-part article on the Gemini paragliders. They are running a lot of photos for part 1, which is a pleasant surprise (I have too many nice photos for this subject to print, unfortunately).The article itself is nothing special--I did not get much primary source information on the program. But if you do not know much about it, this will be a good summary of the project. |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-11-2007 04:10 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Dwayne Day:
Well, not to sound too snarky, but she ain't our Queen...
No, thank goodness, but good manners cost nothing. Would you greet Bush similarly? |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-11-2007 10:55 AM
quote:
Originally posted by gliderpilotuk:
No, thank goodness, but good manners cost nothing. Would you greet Bush similarly?
A hand in a pocket is rude? Maybe Griffin was reaching for his universal translator. Or a breath mint. And I'm sure that Bush has been greeted quite rudely many times...
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Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 06-11-2007 12:49 PM
What to think of the July cover? |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-11-2007 02:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Philip:
What to think of the July cover ???
Yeeagghhhh! |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 06-21-2007 04:11 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Philip:
What to think of the July cover?
Issue arrived this morning. If people at Spaceflight want to give me a heart attack, they should say so upfront. Geee, are they nuts? Chris. (planning a royal expedition into space?) |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 06-21-2007 08:23 AM
Just got the page proofs for part two of my article on the Gemini paraglider. This will run in September. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-05-2007 11:33 AM
The August 2007 issue is probably the best of this year: contributions by Ed Hengeveld + Dwayne Day + me. Seriously, Dwayne's Gemini article series continues with the paraglider... |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 07-05-2007 02:19 PM
Part 2 of the paraglider series will be in September. But I owe much thanks to Ed, plus to a few other people mentioned in the acknowledgements.There was also no way for Spaceflight to run all the photos I had, so I'm going to try to get the rest in a future issue. I have a lot of really neat photos of the restoration work on El Kabong I, the Gemini boilerplate. There's a bunch of other things submitted or in the works. And I was just out at JPL and managed to get some great shots of some robots/rovers tests. |
Paolo
Member Posts: 13
From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 07-22-2007 06:11 AM
The August issue is definitely good. I really enjoyed Dwayne's and Philip's articles.
Instead, the July issue was one of the least interesting this year. I'm not interested in human spaceflight, and that issue was mostly about it. I also wonder why does Spaceflight dedicate three-four pages every month to space station activities, when readers can find exactly the same information on the internet. And by the way, space station operation are so dull and boring that I still have to find one single person that confess of enjoying reading that! |
DDAY
Member Posts: 48
From: Vienna, VA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 07-22-2007 02:38 PM
Thank you, that is most kind.I don't know why Spaceflight devotes the pages to ISS activities, but my suspicion is that they view it as creating a record of what is happening. To be honest, I read very little of the issues because they are behind my news cycle--by the time that I actually see them, lots more stuff has happened. Plus, I work in the space field, so I get a lot of information directly through work. The things that I find more useful are the articles that convey new information about older activities. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 07-23-2007 12:27 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Paolo:
I'm not interested in human spaceflight, and that issue was mostly about it.
Paolo, well, if you're the publisher of a magazine, you cannot limit yourself to "old material" to fill in the pages (not much going these days).Sure you can find Space Station information on the internet but bear in mind that Spaceflight articles provide a summarized version of what's online and to read it online you need a computer, electricity, a phone, a subscription etc. I'd rather have a summarized, edited and printed version of what's going on the ISS rather than to read it online. As to the "dull and boring", wait until we're back to the Moon (or Mars 3 year trip!). Now if your point is to transfer funds from the human spaceflight account to robotic exploration (and also saving the archives), then I'll completely agree with you. Chris. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 08-08-2007 02:18 PM
I see the new cover for Spaceflight is up. Unfortunately, it does not look like I'm going to win the competition. I don't have anything in the October issue. (It's not for lack of trying.) |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 08-14-2007 09:42 AM
The new issue landed at my door. Lots of space history in this one. And I like the cover. That's a big engine! |
heng44
Member Posts: 3386
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 08-14-2007 09:59 AM
Congratulations on yet another fine article, Dwayne. And Philip as well!Ed |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 08-15-2007 07:38 AM
As the author of 'The Write Stuff' feature in this month's Spaceflight magazine I would be most grateful for opinions on the article.I have often felt that Cornelius Ryan's role in the "Collier's space program" has long been ignored but is that just because I'm Irish... I'd also be very interested if anyone knows of other sources regarding the Ryan/Von Braun story? Dominic |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 08-15-2007 08:40 AM
quote:
Originally posted by dom:
I'd also be very interested if anyone knows of other sources regarding the Ryan/Von Braun story?
Ryan is actually still pretty well known for his other works. At one time he was a famous name in the US when it came to books. Mike Neufeld's biography on von Braun is due out this fall. I'm not sure how much he had on Ryan himself. I'll ask him. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 08-15-2007 08:45 AM
quote:
Originally posted by heng44:
Congratulations on yet another fine article, Dwayne. And Philip as well!
Well, it was your previous work that served as a guide, so thank you. I have enough good photos left over (particularly a lot of photos of the restoration of El Kabong 1) that I will write another article on the parasail. The problem is that I have no time (my job keeps getting in the way of my hobbies), and I also have a dozen other articles in the works. Spaceflight is currently sitting on about three articles that I've submitted. One is on the Vandenberg tracking ship and another is on the first ship used at Cape Canaveral. There's also an article on proposed upgrades to the Apollo Lunar Module that they have. I should be careful about sending them more articles before they print the ones that I have already submitted.
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Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 08-15-2007 09:58 AM
I'll add that I've gathered some bits and pieces of information about the parasail, primarily a report on the development that is here. Someone also tipped me off to a contemporary magazine article about it which also refers to El Kabong I. What I'm missing, however, are good photos of the actual tests, particularly the rocket braking system. |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 08-15-2007 03:51 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Dwayne Day:
Ryan is actually still pretty well known for his other works. At one time he was a famous name in the US when it came to books.
I agree Ryan was (and still is) well-known for his famous war books but I think his influence on the Collier's series is often forgotten.Von Braun, Bonestell and the rest of the space experts were all strong characters but so, luckily, was Ryan. He was a perfectionist when it came to the details of any story. That attention to detail is recognised in the success of the war books The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far but why not the Collier's series? I hope my Spaceflight article has managed to convert people to the idea. Have I changed any minds or am I just too biased? Dominic |
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