Re: Physicist James Van Allen Dies at 91

henry@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Henry Spencer) wrote:

In article <44dcbe64.2019874718@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Derek Lyons <fairwater@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
...In lunar science, the results of all the unmanned landers put
together are not much more than footnotes to the Apollo results; the ratio
of results is *much* larger than the ratio of costs.

Of *course* the ration is much larger than the ratio of costs -
because the unmanned programs were largely engineering ones in support
of the manned program.

That would surprise the builders and operators of the Luna sample-return
and rover missions, who most definitely weren't trying to support anyone's
manned program, let alone the *US* one...

I did use the word 'largely' Henry, not 'entirely'. Even if you lump
in the Soviet programs - you still don't get (overall) a serious and
significant program to lay beside and compare on an one on one basis
to the manned one.

<snippage handwaving>

Apples and oranges.

It *is* a problematic comparison. However, it has the enormous virtue of
being real data on real missions built and flown at about the same time
with about the same technology,

<snippage handwaving>

Apples and oranges are real too Henry. That doesn't mean comparisons
between them are valid.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL
.

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