The Chinese early experiments in Rocketry -- Do we owe them?

[SleipnirTheHorse]

So the Chinese in ancient times made many writings on how to put a man in chair on the moon with solid fuel rockets. How much do we owe these experiments. My brother has said that these calculations had little influence on modern space travel.

But, I wonder?

 

[Frabjous]

Look at the number of rockets that blow up. It is a hard engineering problem. We owe them very little.

Also, gravity is very important for space travel. They had no experience with it.

 

[SleipnirTheHorse]

Yeah, I guess, but it proves one thing even though it may be meaningless.

Man has always tied his destiny to the stars.

 

[phinds]

Man has always tied his destiny to the stars.

Huh? What does that even mean ? Throughout almost all of human history, man has tied his destiny to his ability to get his next meal.

 

[SleipnirTheHorse]

That was he needs, but what was his desire? Look at astrology (agnostic over if it actually works) and all the ideas, religions and philosophies surrounding the stars.

 

[phinds]

That was he needs, but what was his desire? Look at astrology (agnostic over if it actually works) and all the ideas, religions and philosophies surrounding the stars.

BUT ... your statement was not about his "desire" it was specifically about his destiny, which is what I addressed. Make up your mind what it is that you want to be talking about.

Also, humans have been around for roughly 300,000 years. Only during the most recent 1% of that time have we had writing and only during about 5% of that time has there been civilization (towns, cultivation of food, etc). Primitive religions do go farther back, and possibly some of them involved the stars but I doubt the average human cared as much about that as where their next meal was coming from.

During almost all of the 300,000 years, humans desires AND destiny has been centered around getting the next meal.

 

[SleipnirTheHorse]

I meant human destiny as a species, sorry if you're confused?

 

[BWV]

I meant human destiny as a species, sorry if you're confused?

I doubt any more than a handful of humans will ever leave Earth. Space is just too big and hostile

 

[SleipnirTheHorse]

I doubt any more than a handful of humans will ever leave Earth. Space is just too big and hostile

What I'm more worried about, as Kermit the Frog put it, "is this the sweet sound that calls young sailors, the voice might be one in the same..."

 

[phinds]

I meant human destiny as a species, sorry if you're confused?

I don't think you are listening or understanding what I am saying. Again, mankind has been around for about 300,000 years. Do you not understand that? Your original statement was (bolding is mine)

Man has always tied his destiny to the stars.

Maybe in the last 10,000 years to so (if at all) but NOT for anything like 300,000 years. Your "always" is nonsensical.

 

[SleipnirTheHorse]

I don't think you are listening or understanding what I am saying. Again, mankind has been around for about 300,000 years. Do you not understand that? Your original statement was (bolding is mine)

Maybe in the last 10,000 years to so (if at all) but NOT for anything like 300,000 years. Your "always" is nonsensical.

Ok, I guess my philosophical beliefs don't agree with yours?

 

[phinds]

Ok, I guess my philosophical beliefs don't agree with yours?

No, I think my facts don't agree with yours

 

[berkeman]

Thread is closed for Moderation.

 

[berkeman]

Thread will remain closed. The original question was a bit off, and the discussion that it spawned was also a bit off.

The initial Chinese contribution was mainly limited to the invention of gunpowder and subsequent solid fuel unguided rockets ("fire arrows") [2][3]. The real contributions to rocketry were due to the Germans [1] and later due to other countries. Mastering liquid fueled, multiple stage guided rockets was an enormous task carried out in modern times, so little is owed to the earliest gunpowder contributions.

(Full disclosure: my dad told me some interesting stories about his interactions with von Braun)

Spaceflight became a practical possibility with the work of Robert H. Goddard's publication in 1919 of his paper A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes. His application of the de Laval nozzle to liquid-fuel rockets improved efficiency enough for interplanetary travel to become possible. After further research, Goddard attempted to secure an Army contract for a rocket-propelled weapon in the first World War but his plans were foiled by the November 11, 1918 armistice with Germany. After choosing to work with private financial support, he was the first to launch a liquid-fueled rocket on March 16, 1926.

During World War II, the first guided rocket, the V-2, was developed and employed as a weapon by Nazi Germany. During a test flight in June 1944, one such rocket reached space at an altitude of 189 kilometers (102 nautical miles), becoming the first human-made object to reach space. At the end of World War II, most of the V-2 rocket team, including its head, Wernher von Braun, surrendered to the United States, and were expatriated to work on American missiles at what became the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, producing missiles such as Juno I and Atlas.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceflight

[2] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...kQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3xsPtWVl0eSdbpDFTksiir

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_gunpowder