December 21, 2016 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast
Embedded below the fold. We spent some time talking about the James Webb Space Telescope, and the terrifying possibility that it might not work.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Embedded below the fold. We spent some time talking about the James Webb Space Telescope, and the terrifying possibility that it might not work.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Hi Bob,
great show, is there a link to the chinese images from the moon? thanks.
StarGazer: Do a search on Behind the Black for Chang’e-3. The most recent post gives a link to a story that provides that link.
Bob,
You stated that the James Webb Telescope would be in the eclipse of the Earth at the Lagrange Point. This cannot be true. For one thing, the telescope is solar powered and it would be difficult to gather the 2 kW of power from the Sun if the spacecraft we sitting in the eclipse all the time. Also, a spacecraft at the Lagrange Point must orbit it. Finally, it has a “Sunshield” which would not be necessary if it sat in an eclipse all the time.
http://jwst.nasa.gov/comparison.html
“At the L2 point Webb’s solar shield will block the light from the Sun, Earth, and Moon. This will help Webb stay cool, which is very important for an infrared telescope. As the Earth orbits the Sun, Webb will orbit with it – but stay fixed in the same spot with relation to the Earth and the Sun, as shown in the diagram to the left. Actually, satellites orbit around the L2 point, as you can see in the diagram – they don’t stay completely motionless at a fixed spot.”
James: Ah, thank you. You are right.
I do remember however hearing or reading somewhere that the reason they were aiming for the Lagrange point a million miles farther from the sun was to use the Earth’s shadow to block the Sun’s light. As you note, this really makes no sense since they need the sun to power the spacecraft.
I wonder where I heard this, and why. Could it be they are using the Earth’s shadow during the trip out to cool the spacecraft?