StarDestroyer.Net BBS

PeZook wrote:

fnord wrote:OOC - How the hell did Nikov manage to get slung out the ass-end of Siberia?

Well, he was growing really dissatisfied with the program, so he probably made the wrong comment at the wrong time and whoops

I heard a rumor that Comrade Nikov is actually assigned to one of Comrade Shroomanski's closed science cities, not to an ordinary labor camp of the sort Comrade Pavylvych is familiar with.

Though he did spend some time working in a science village during the Salvation War...

Oh, BTW: This season's launch windows can take you to Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn

Again, good stuff Modem and Mayabird; I'm sorry about the whole cosmonaut thing.

I don't know if I'll compose a plan before evening Eastern Seaboard time, but I'm viewing developments with interest. Thanks for the planetary info, PeZook.

A-Series is still at 98% reliability, and Booster Stage at 92%, right?

Da, comrade Chief Designer!

Well, my 1966 plan is thrown out of gear in a good way because I was assuming that we'd experience dismal booming failure instead of glorious booming success. Gonna need to rethink a bit to accomodate the increased resources in the plan.

Somewhere in Murca

"This can't be..."

"I don't know sir, these pictures look authentic...", Hobert Z. Reinlein's assistant seemed dismayed. Various photographs of Venus delivered by the Commienist probe orbiting it were strewn across the table, along with a scientific journal where Zenobian researchers published their findings.

"It can't be! Atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid? 900 degree temperatures? Extreme pressures? It was supposed to have jungles! Lush jungles and oceans! Places for adventure!"

Reinlein sat down heavily. And then he had an epiphany.

"It's a commienist propaganda plot to destroy Murcan sci-fi!"

"But the pictures..."

"Are you an astrophysicist? You wouldn't be able to tell if they've been faked! Hah! Yes, that must be it. Sleazy communoids, they almost had me there! Hah!"

Some fifty million kilometres away, give or take a few, the planet of Venus, now stripped of its adventurous mystique, continued its orbit around the Sun, oblivious to the wishes of the people living on its not that close neighbor.



Ain't exploration a bitch?

Coming next, how the commienists destroyed the Murcan dreams about Mars...

So, no green women in silver go go boots and holding ray guns?

Alas, no.

On an unrelated note, a sudden family emergency has come up for me. I don't know exactly what effects it will have on my schedule, between psychological and physical availability. I don't expect it to prevent me from playing, but it may be a while before I can come up with a plan.

Priorities, in no particular order, would be unmanned Voskhod docking tests, a possible manned docking test for next season, a possible space probe launch for next season, and I was planning on starting Kicker-B this year, which will be necessary for either a Voskhod lunar flyby (as we've been contemplating) or the eventual Lapot moon landings.

Working out the exact budget for 1966 is what I'm in no shape to do right now, and may not be able to do today at all. Sorry, guys.

Ouch. I recommend we set up a planetary mission to Mercury. Soft-pedal the R&D for XMS-2 to get it done. It sucks, but we could really use the prestige.

So: 108 MB
- 15 for a Ranger mission to Mars leaves 93

- 60 to start XMS-2 leaves 33

- Then put the rest into XMS-2 R&D

How's that look, Herr Direktor?

Ouch. I'm sorry to hear that, Simon. Would you like me to run up a budget for 1966? Not trying to grab the wheel, just offering to take something off your plate if it would make things easier. Let me know, feel free to PM me if desired.

Go ahead and put together a draft for me, and PM it to me. You might want to do it through the persona of my deputy, the tank/tractor guy.

Armor plate production indeed.

Can do.

I should at least be able to check out someone else's plan, so that will work, but no promise of getting back to you real soon.

I wish you the best of luck, Simon, and honestly hope it's nothing too serious.

ChaserGrey, behold my plans:

Funds: 108 MB

R@D:
-Begin XMS-2 Project, with 2 teams @ 69 MB
-Begin Strap-On Boosters Project with 2 teams @ 22 MB

-R&D Total: 91 MB

Procurement:
-1x Titan @ 12 MB
-1x Ranger @ 5 MB

-Procurement Total: 17 MB

Grand Total: 108 MB

Mission Plans: Schedule a Titan/Ranger launch for a Mars flyby.

Looks workable. Normally I'd say devote all your R&D resources in one direction, but we need the boosters to fly XMS-2 anyway.

That's what I thought. With Boosters, we can launch the XMS on a Titan, which is pretty high on the reliability front. We could even do an earth-orbit rendervous landing with minishuttles. I think.

Launch the shuttle on one, launch the lander and the docking module on another. I dunno if we'll need a kicker stage will we?

We will- Kicker B for an EOR mission. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I did do the maths a while back and it *does* work out for a joint boosted-Titan mission. Gives you a good backup in case you just don't have the time or money to get Saturn V working.

That's reassuring to know.

PeZook wrote:I wish you the best of luck, Simon, and honestly hope it's nothing too serious.

Thank you. It's serious, but it's stable, and the direct effect on me is relatively limited in light of that. ChaserGrey's plan has been PMed to me, noted, and is under serious consideration and matching against my own plans. I'll put up one of my own, but I can't promise I'll put it up for another 24 hours or so.

Sorry.

No problem, man. Take your time.

Mayabird wrote:But she was a professional, so she landed her helicopter first before slugging the first male she saw, which happened to be her co-pilot. Svetmaya didn't have a good angle in the cramped cockpit so it didn't hurt him much, just confused him a moment. They had seemed to be working together just fine and she hadn't given any hints or indications that anything was wrong. Her co-pilot thought about the strange behavior from the woman who held many ballooning and parachuting records, then thought that it was, perhaps, a sign of affection!

He decided to test it by dressing up and asking her if she wanted to go listen to some speeches with him.

Moosecow

Unbeknown to many, under the Premier's orders the NKVDVDROM had covert surveillance in place on all persons of interests, including potential candidates for the embryonic female cosmonaut program. One of the most promising candidates was this Svetmaya Surnameova, who the Premier hoped to be one day the face of Zenobian egalitarianism, to shame the Murcan chauvinist degenerates, and make better the learnings of ze Motherland, da.

It was then that the surveillance footage, and tapes, showed Svetmaya decking her co-pilot with her fist. Then the co-pilot asked her out to see a Lennon speech.

Premier Shroomanski couldn't help but smile at the adorable scene and go...

=

"Awwwwwwww....."

I don't know, that looks more like a look of disgust.

Be quiet you! Khrushchev is the best.