Astronaut Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon, Dead at 82

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SphinxnihpS

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,368
25
91
Who told you that the Soviets only got the abililyt to track deep space objects after Apollo 17? You do realize that the Soviets where sending un-manned probes to the moon before the Apollo missions?

We can track anything that sends a radio signal, and whose vector we know at some point. We can NOT track much else, and never really will be able to for one simple reason, space is dark.
 

Brovane

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2001
6,528
2,667
136
We can track anything that sends a radio signal, and whose vector we know at some point. We can NOT track much else, and never really will be able to for one simple reason, space is dark.

Which means the Soviets tracked the transmitting Apollo spacecraft all the way to the moon and back to re-entry. The US regulary tracks objects in space using a variety of techniques even optical telescopes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Surveillance_Network
 

SphinxnihpS

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,368
25
91
Which means the Soviets tracked the transmitting Apollo spacecraft all the way to the moon and back to re-entry. The US regulary tracks objects in space using a variety of techniques even optical telescopes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Surveillance_Network

Duh. We know where everything in the solar system is, so long as it's radiant, close, or huge.

We can track all the functioning spacecraft, all the space junk in earth orbit, all the planets and most of their moons, and some asteroids and comets. But it's not like we have some kind of magic RADAR which tracks them all in real time. We don't see most of them. They are really kept track of via math.
 

Brovane

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2001
6,528
2,667
136
Duh. We know where everything in the solar system is, so long as it's radiant, close, or huge.

We can track all the functioning spacecraft, all the space junk in earth orbit, all the planets and most of their moons, and some asteroids and comets. But it's not like we have some kind of magic RADAR which tracks them all in real time. We don't see most of them. They are really kept track of via math.

So what is your point? I was making the point to the original poster that the Soviets could track via radio transmissions all the Apollo missions to the moon and back.
 

SphinxnihpS

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,368
25
91
So what is your point? I was making the point to the original poster that the Soviets could track via radio transmissions all the Apollo missions to the moon and back.

Why would you even attempt rational communication with it?

My only point was that most idiots I have run across seem to be under the notion that we have Star Trek-like capability when it comes to sensing celestial objects, when the fact is we can't see much, even though our capability and general knowledge of the solar system is far from where it was even 20 years ago.
 

Brovane

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2001
6,528
2,667
136
Why would you even attempt rational communication with it?

My only point was that most idiots I have run across seem to be under the notion that we have Star Trek-like capability when it comes to sensing celestial objects, when the fact is we can't see much, even though our capability and general knowledge of the solar system is far from where it was even 20 years ago.

I understand what you are saying.

We have limited ability to detect objects in space. What is interesting in the wiki article that apparently the GEODSS site telescopes on a nightly basis can track 3000 objects . However I digress. I was just pointing out that essentially the Soviets tracked the Apollo missions all the way to the Moon and back using there radio transmissions. We did the same thing with the Soviet space missions. Other nations also picked up the Apollo transmissions coming from outside LEO as they went to the Moon and back to Earth. However facts don't get in the way of these people.
 

SphinxnihpS

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,368
25
91
I understand what you are saying.

We have limited ability to detect objects in space. What is interesting in the wiki article that apparently the GEODSS site telescopes on a nightly basis can track 3000 objects . However I digress. I was just pointing out that essentially the Soviets tracked the Apollo missions all the way to the Moon and back using there radio transmissions. We did the same thing with the Soviet space missions. Other nations also picked up the Apollo transmissions coming from outside LEO as they went to the Moon and back to Earth. However facts don't get in the way of these people.

Hey, we have rocks from the place, do you think someone who doesn't buy that is going to buy radio signal detection by disinterested third party nations? :awe:
 

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,770
126
the soviet's only got the ability to track deep space objects after apollo 17.

apollo 17 was the final mission.

coincidence?

i think we did go to the moon (through the secret space program), but the landing coverage for the public was faked by stanley kubrick.

Wow, WTF happened to you? it stuns me to think anyone could be so stupid they think the Apollo missions were faked, it's sad really..