Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!lll-winken!uunet!bfmny0!tneff
From: tneff@bfmny0.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Impossible Space Goals
Message-ID: <14478@bfmny0.UUCP>
Date: 21 Jul 89 00:09:37 GMT
References: <24b89b35@ralf> <4304@eos.UUCP> <1699@infinet.UUCP> <14475@bfmny0.UUCP> <5348@hplabsb.HP.COM>
Reply-To: tneff@bfmny0.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Organization: ^
Lines: 23

>Whoa right back.  Ranger was indeed launched to answer this question.
>Rangers 3-5 had seismometers encased in balsa spheres, attached to
>retrorockets.  These packages were supposed to separate from the main
>spacecraft, brake to a stop 1100 feet altitude, jettison the retros,
>then fall from there.  After rolling to a stop, they were to transmit
>readings back.  If the balls sank into dust, the signals would reflect
>that.

Damn.  David's completely correct and I am a complete fool to have
forgotten the balsa breakaways.  I remember being fascinated by the
idea of WOOD on the moon at the time!

My public apologies.

Phone Tree Alert - Full Funding for Ranger Mark II!

--
10 news postings = 18 Neff-Minutes  |  John Q. American at Deere School
(NM's). -- The Pentagon             |  jqa@complete.FOOL.NET

-- 
"My God, Thiokol, when do you     \\	Tom Neff
want me to launch -- next April?"  \\	uunet!bfmny0!tneff