NASA goes metric

Rod
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As projects become more

As projects become more international so to share some of the cost. This makes systems mangement more complex Standardization is the norm.
Here is an article on the future space telescope. NASA is mandating the Unified Modelling Language(UML) be used.

NASA Mandates

There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot. - Aldo Leopold

m.mitch
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RE: Well, in Italy we use

Message 59121 in response to message 59118

Quote:
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

Not that difficult Tullio,
Distance and speed would change from nautical miles [1] to Kilometres and altitude from feet to metres. That's about it. Almost everything else is metric. It's been changing a bit a time, perhaps we should do away with the square rigged sailing ship terms first.

[1] nautical mile noun [C] (ALSO sea mile) a unit of distance used at sea which is equal to 1,852 metres.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary) on-line

Also, one litre = one kilogram of clean water. We can get volume by weighing it, we can fill tanks because we know the measurement (fish tank, 113cm x 65cm x 57.7cm = 423,806.5 cm3 = 423.8065 litres = 423.8065 kilograms extra weight. It's simple logical arithmetic).

m.mitch
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RE: Alas, NASA has only

Message 59122 in response to message 59112

Quote:

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.

Mike,
I have some reservations about NASA and Imperial measure. If memory serves, the Apollo was 330 feet tall and the capsule was designed to return 220 pounds of moon rock. There were other 'lucky' numbers but I don't recall them all now, but it appears America did go to the Moon in Metric after all.

Besides, von Brown didn't know feet, pounds and inches.

Rod
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RE: See this:SI But what

Quote:
See this:
SI
But what would happen if FAA went metric too?
Tullio

I am just curious, Does anybody know what countries' air traffic control systems use metric units for aircraft seperation? I believe Russia and China do. I can't remember whether EuroControl does or not. I should knows this but it has been a long time

There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot. - Aldo Leopold

Mike Hewson
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RE: Mike, I have some

Message 59124 in response to message 59122

Quote:
Mike,
I have some reservations about NASA and Imperial measure. If memory serves, the Apollo was 330 feet tall and the capsule was designed to return 220 pounds of moon rock. There were other 'lucky' numbers but I don't recall them all now,


Well Apollo thirteen wasn't one... :-(

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

m.mitch
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RE: Well Apollo thirteen

Message 59125 in response to message 59124

Quote:

Well Apollo thirteen wasn't one... :-(

Cheers, Mike.

I thought that was the finest piece of work NASA ever did. The spacecraft blew up on the way to the moon and the crew still came back to Earth safely.

No body worried about other motives during that episode. ;-)

Dex
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RE: APOLLO 13 I thought

Message 59126 in response to message 59125

Quote:

APOLLO 13

I thought that was the finest piece of work NASA ever did. The spacecraft blew up on the way to the moon and the crew still came back to Earth safely.

No body worried about other motives during that episode. ;-)

I believe you are exactly right. I don't believe human success is measured by the lack of failure, but by the ability to encounter failure, stare it in the eye, and make that potential failure, a success...

d3xt3r.net

Lt. Cmdr. Daze
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RE: RE: APOLLO 13 I

Message 59127 in response to message 59126

Quote:
Quote:

APOLLO 13

I thought that was the finest piece of work NASA ever did. The spacecraft blew up on the way to the moon and the crew still came back to Earth safely.

No body worried about other motives during that episode. ;-)

I believe you are exactly right. I don't believe human success is measured by the lack of failure, but by the ability to encounter failure, stare it in the eye, and make that potential failure, a success...


I'd agree in the ideal case, since any failure could bring success. But in practice, one should first look carefully at the risks as well, and base a good decision upon that assessment. I'd like to redefine your definition that human success is measured by the ability of judgement, and learning from errors in that judgement. And that could also mean turning a potential failure into success.

Cheers,
Bert

Somnio ergo sum

ECR
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I refuse to go

I refuse to go metric...especially since I wear a 12" shoe.

tullio
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RE: I am just curious,

Message 59129 in response to message 59123

Quote:

I am just curious, Does anybody know what countries' air traffic control systems use metric units for aircraft seperation? I believe Russia and China do. I can't remember whether EuroControl does or not. I should knows this but it has been a long time


I believe Eurocontrol uses Imperial units, as all civilian aircrafts I know.
Tullio

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