Henry Spencer Quotes

Henry Spencer
Henry Spencer
Canadian Scientist
Born: 1955
Apollo Because First People Space You
Related authors: David Suzuki Frederick Banting Gad Saad Hans Selye Orlando Aloysius Battista Sid Meier Steven Pinker William Osler
Rocket engines generally are simpler than jet engines, not more complicated. Henry Spencer
Complicated Jet More Simpler Generally Rocket Than Engines
In the long run, it's impossible to make progress without sometimes having setbacks, although people who get lucky on their first attempt sometimes forget this. Henry Spencer
People Progress Sometimes Impossible Long First Run Having Long Run Attempt Make Although Without Forget Get Who Lucky Setbacks
Progress requires setbacks; the only sure way to avoid failure is not to try. Henry Spencer
Failure Progress Try Way Only Sure Sure Way Requires Avoid Setbacks
SpaceX does seem to have had a run of bad luck, with its first three launches all failing. Henry Spencer
Bad Luck Three First Luck Run Bad Seem Had Failing Does
The demise of Constellation is not the death of a dream. It's just the end of an illusion. Henry Spencer
Death Illusion Dream Demise End Just
Sure, there were hopes that Constellation's systems could later be adapted to support more ambitious goals. But Apollo had those hopes, too. It didn't work in 1970, and it wasn't going to work in 2020. Henry Spencer
Work Goals Too Later Those Systems Hopes More Could Had Support Sure Were Ambitious Going Apollo Adapted
The communications delays between Earth and Mars can be half an hour or more, so the people on the ground can't participate minute by minute in Mars surface activities. Henry Spencer
People Half Earth Mars Minute Delays More Participate Between Hour Surface Communications Ground Activities
The Moon may not be quite as appealing as Mars, but it's still a complex and poorly understood world, with many questions still unanswered. Henry Spencer
World Moon Complex Unanswered Mars Understood Still Questions Quite May Poorly Appealing Many
NASA has never had a problem finding capable people to be astronauts. NASA's problem was, and still is, finding ways to cut the list of capable applicants down to a manageable length. Henry Spencer
People Problem Down Ways Astronauts Finding Never Had Still NASA Manageable List Length Capable Cut
Not until the space shuttle started flying did NASA concede that some astronauts didn't have to be fast-jet pilots. And at that point, sure enough, women started becoming astronauts. Henry Spencer
Women Space Enough Flying Astronauts Some Point Concede Until Sure Becoming NASA Pilots Did Space Shuttle Started Shuttle
Solid-fuel rockets can't easily be shut down on command. Henry Spencer
Down Easily Command Rockets Shut
Whether solid rockets are more or less likely to fail than liquid-fuel rockets is debatable. More serious, though, is that when they do fail, it's usually violent and spectacular. Henry Spencer
Space Solid Though More More Or Less Fail Likely Rockets Debatable Than Whether Less Serious Spectacular Violent
Liquid oxygen is one of the cheapest manufactured substances on Earth. In large quantities, it costs pennies per kilogram - cheaper than milk or beer. Henry Spencer
Beer Earth Pennies Per Costs Cheaper Cheapest Quantities Than Liquid Substances Oxygen Large Milk
Trying to build a spaceship by making an aeroplane fly faster and higher is like trying to build an aeroplane by making locomotives faster and lighter - with a lot of effort, perhaps you could get something that more or less works, but it really isn't the right way to proceed. Henry Spencer
You Fly Build Faster Way Right Way Something More More Or Less Could Higher Lighter Like Perhaps Making Lot Effort Get Trying Proceed Spaceship Really Less Works Right
As plans for the first lunar landing started to be made, nobody had really thought about who would be out first. Henry Spencer
Thought Made First Out Would Would-Be About Had Nobody Landing Really Plans Who Started
The original specifications for Apollo navigation called for the ability to fly a complete mission, including a lunar landing, with no help from Earth - none, not even voice communications. Henry Spencer
Fly Complete Earth Ability Voice Mission None Landing Apollo Communications Help Navigation Original Even Including
Claiming that solid rockets are necessary for a heavy-lift launcher is obvious nonsense. Henry Spencer
Solid Claiming Obvious Nonsense Rockets Necessary
Large solid rockets have never been a very good way to build launchers that might have crews on top, especially because of the problems in getting the crew away from a failing launcher. Henry Spencer
Good Problems Build Crew Top Way Solid Never Good Way Failing Because Been Rockets Very Getting Might Large Away
The key virtue of orbital assembly is that it eliminates the tight connection between the size of the expedition and the size of the rockets used to launch it. Henry Spencer
Key Virtue Launch Between Tight Rockets Expedition Size Used Connection Assembly
The Apollo programme of the 1960s had some weight problems, too; in particular, the lunar lander needed some fairly drastic weight-reduction work. Henry Spencer
Work Problems Too Drastic Some Had Weight Particular Fairly Apollo Needed Programme
An experienced designer with more freedom to act might have realised that there was just too much optimism in the Ares I concept: that a shuttle SRB was simply too small as a first stage for a rocket carrying the relatively heavy Orion spacecraft. Henry Spencer
Freedom Too Much First Stage Too Relatively Carrying More Small Simply Concept Rocket Optimism Just Experienced Heavy Spacecraft Realised Might Much Act Designer Shuttle
Sometimes a malfunctioning test setup actually gives the tested system a chance to show what it can do in an unrehearsed emergency. During a test of an Apollo escape system in the 1960s, the escape system successfully got the capsule clear of a malfunctioning test rocket. Henry Spencer
Sometimes Setup System Emergency Gives Clear Got Test Tested Rocket Escape Apollo Successfully Show Actually Chance

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