NASA goes metric
10 Jan 2007 5:12:37 UTC
Topic 192288
(moderation:
See this:
SI
But what would happen if FAA went metric too?
Tullio
See this:
SI
But what would happen if FAA went metric too?
Tullio
NASA goes metric
)
I think you will see the trickle down effect as in all new things that come from NASA. This will accelerate the time it takes our entire society to convert to metric.
Personally, even as a person,
)
Personally, even as a person, born and raised in the US using primarily the US system. I believe that the metric system is much more efficient and logical. I would prefer the idea of changing many things to the metric system. :)
d3xt3r.net
Alas, NASA has only agreed to
)
Alas, NASA has only agreed to go metric for Moon missions in that decision, so 'tis not done by a long yard yet. :-(
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
I guess they've learned it
)
I guess they've learned it the hard way, when the Mars Climate Orbiter crashed due to the conversion problem...
Regards,
Bert
Somnio ergo sum
RE: I guess they've learned
)
Yeah, I think the separate engineering teams differed by a factor of ~ five in the thrust calculation/expectation. A Mars orbital manouvre would be sensitive to that... :-{
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
RE: RE: I guess they've
)
Yes, just a little sensitive!
I'm 40 something and was brought up in the UK with pound shillings pence and feet and inches, but I embraced the metric system in my teens as it is far more logical, easier to visualise and equations work better as units are more compatible.
It still defies belief that US are still using these silly Imperial units that we gave up 30 years ago.
They still describe weight and force of rocket engines in pounds thrust... what does that mean to the rest of the world, or even to the average American?
3 million pounds thrust = 1,361 tonnes or 1,500 short US tons. A far easier figure to get one's head around. 1,361 tonnes = 1,361,000 kg. Couldn't be simpler.
Meddling with Imperial measurements is just asking for trouble by inviting more unnecessary possibilities for human errors to creep in.
Why don't they just measure the speed of light in furlongs per fortnight?
= 1,802,617,499,228.605832029090909091 :-)
1 furlong per fortnight ~ 166.31 microns per second, for perspective... :-)
RE: RE: RE: I guess
)
Somehow I don't think the average American cares about the force (or even any average citizen of world) of a rocket engine. It would seem to be a impressive number either way regardless of being expressed in pounds thrust, tonnes, British long tons, US short tons, or kilograms. And try using the term "furlong" or "fortnight" in a conversation with an average American and more or likely he/she will start looking around for the time machine from the past you stepped out of. :) America is slowly going towards the metric system and that is a good thing but a sudden change over would cause some resentment amongst some of the average masses. Americans like their "inches", "quarts", and "ounces" and are comfortable with them.
I'm also from the UK, like
)
I'm also from the UK, like Andy, but a few years older. I got seriously introduced to metric, the MKS system. And although it may be more logical mathematically, in real terms it can be a pain in the a***. Also some of the units used, litre for instance, are not offical SI units, the unit for volume is metre cubed. But then we have to ask for a 1/2000 of m^3 down at the pub.
Both my youngest son and I have though learnt to mix measurements, when measuring wood we quite often say 27.5 cm long and 5/8th inch thick or similar.
The other problem of course that US Imperial is not the same as UK Imperial, fluid oz in pint?
ANdy
RE: The other problem of
)
Well, in Italy we use liters. One liter is one cubic decimeter, which is a SI unit. The only problem I see with metrication is aviation. One should change all instruments aboard planes, in control towers, and retrain all pilots. What a mess!
Tullio
RE: RE: The other
)
There was just an article in the LA Times (Jan.14,'07) about production of the F-35. Here's a quote (emphasis added):
“The F-35 would be the only fighter to enter production in the next decade, and could even be the last piloted warplane aircraft bought by a U.S. military that is shifting to robotic planes and other means of delivering weapons to their targets.�
As far as the Moon being totally metric, I think it only makes sense to have “one tool fits all�...