Photos from Apollo 11 film footage

[raven]

The Delta II rocket second stage uses the same fuel and oxidiser and is very close to the thrust of the Lunar Module ascent stage engine. In fact, early Delta II rockets used surplus ascent stage engines according to the Encyclopedia Astronautica.
If you look up video of Delta II launches, I challenge anyone to find one with visible 2nd stage exhaust aside from an initial "belch" at start-up, something also seen in Apollo lunar lift off video.

[ka9q]

But in keeping with the theme of repeating these patterns over and over, the summing-lever mechanism in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner rudder control linkages -- a thoroughly 21st Century airframe design -- traces its lineage to almost identical valve-gearing designs (e.g., Stephenson or Wallschaerts) in steam locomotives, dating to 150 years prior.

Did you once speak with a British accent and call yourself James Burke? :-)

[JayUtah]

Did you once speak with a British accent and call yourself James Burke? :-)

No, but I'm a big fan of his in case it's not obvious.  You can't be an effective engineer without knowing the history of technology.

[Derek]

I'd nominate the Apollo Guidance Computer for this, as it was the first computer ever built entirely out of integrated circuits to meet the volume, weight and power requirements.

One of the unsung advances is project management.  Apollo used advanced project-management techniques previously only employed in military development programs.  These techniques and their tools (e.g., PERT and Gantt charts) are commonplace now.

Absolutely - and one of the things I've always found surprisingly fascinating when reading through histories of the program.  Both this and the procurement process were ground breaking and absolute requirements to achieve what they did in the timescales.

Though a bi-product is Project Management speak which comes through when you read some of the technical histories.  My favourite was "there's an emerging negative slack in the critical path" which translated into simple English meant "we're late"...

[Abaddon]

Some highlights of that:

Involuntary conversion of a 747. Translation: plane crash.

Negative patient outcome. Translation: death.

Vertically deployed anti-personnel device: Translation: bomb.

Customer conveyance mobile lounge. Translation: bus.

And there are many more. I think there is even a term for it, but cannot recall.

[gillianren]

It is, after all, a little beyond euphemism at that point.

[raven]

I like " unintentional lithobreaking manoeuvre"

[sts60]

That's the maneuver (U.S. spelling) you make for insertion into lithosynchronous orbit.

I've had one of my satellites launched into hydrosynchronous orbit.

Then there are the satellites which are "repurposed as deep ocean imagers".

[JayUtah]

Involuntary conversion of a 747. Translation: plane crash.

Also, "rapid unscheduled disassembly."

[Abaddon]

I like it. 

[raven]

Then there are the satellites which are "repurposed as deep ocean imagers".

Ooh,  that's a good'un!

[Chew]

C. Montgomery Burns: "Oh, meltdown. It's one of those annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an unrequested fission surplus."

[profmunkin]

In thread 'disproving a hoax believer meta-claim' sts60 post 26 had the following link to the following page http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144487
on this web page noted was the flag motion on Apollo missions, various youtube videos were linked to show the movement of flags as astronauts moved past.
I have not bothered to analyze anything on this web page other then watching 2 of the youtube videos linked.

Can someone explain why the flags do move as astronauts pass them?
 

[Bob B.]

Can someone explain why the flags do move as astronauts pass them?

No one knows for sure but the explanations that have been postulated are (1) the astronaut brushed the flag as he walked past, or (2) it was attracted to the astronaut by static electricity.

Many hoax believers claim that the flag was set in motion by a breeze caused by the astronaut walking by.  However, please note how long the flag continues to rock back and forth after it has been set in motion.  If air were present, the motion would dampen out and cease very quickly.  The prolonged rocking is consistent with the behavior of a flag in a vaccum.  The evidence actually points to the absence of air rather than the presence of it as claimed by many hoax proponents.

[Echnaton]

Can someone explain why the flags do move as astronauts pass them?
 

The speculation of a breeze from the astronaut causing the flag to move can be dismissed by an observation of the time that the flag is not moving.  Including when the astronaut by the pole is bouncing around and then walks away, which caused no flag motion at all.  There are plenty of videos that show the various flags for extended periods with absolutely no movement, something that would not be possible in an air filled environment.
 
BTW, you have question outstanding from the past few days in the JFK thread, why are you raising new questions in a thread where you have been absent for a month?

edited for spelling