Editing 1133: Up Goer Five
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | This comic is an illustration that | + | This comic is an illustration (albeit to a comical degree) of the principle that given the appropriate vocabulary, any technical concept should be understandable to a lay audience. Since most of the jargon used in rocket science is not among the most commonly used words in everyday life, [[Randall]] has challenged himself to "translate" the blueprints for the Saturn Five rocket using only the one thousand most commonly-used words in the English language. |
| − | This comic is a diagram of the Saturn V rocket | + | This comic is a diagram of the {{w|Saturn V}} rocket, "Saturn" isn't a very common word apparently, and neither is rocket, so Randall decided to use "Up Goer" which is a fair approximation of a craft designed to lift a payload from the earth to space. The Saturn V vehicle, which was in use by {{w|NASA}} from 1967 to 1972, is the vehicle as a whole. The engines of the Saturn V (the part that makes it go up) were divided into three stages. The first stage ({{w|S-IC}}) had five {{w|F-1 (rocket engine)|F-1}} engines which burned {{w|RP-1|refined kerosene}} mixed with oxygen as its fuel. That stage burned for 2 minutes 48 seconds and pushed the whole thing up about 61 kilometers (~38 miles) into the sky. After it fell away the {{w|S-II}} stage was activated. It used 5 {{w|J-2 (rocket engine)|J-2}} engines in the same configuration as the F-1s, and burned {{w|liquid hydrogen}} mixed with {{w|liquid oxygen}} for 6 minutes 35 seconds pushing the astronauts up to 184 kilometers (114.5 miles). The third stage ({{w|S-IVB}}) was a single J-2 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. This stage was used in two parts, the first was to put the spacecraft into a stable orbit around Earth to perform a systems check and make sure the craft will be safe for going to the moon. This would usually take three orbits around Earth. As they came around the Earth they would burn the second part of the fuel, which is called a {{w|trans-lunar injection}} which put them on course for the moon. The first burn took 2 minutes 45 seconds, which put them in orbit 185 kilometers (115 miles) high. |
It was first used as the launch vehicle for the {{w|Apollo 4}} mission, and it was used as the launch vehicle for most of the subsequent {{w|Apollo mission}}s (the exceptions being Apollo 5, Apollo 7, Skylab 2-4, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project missions, which were launched using the smaller {{w|Saturn IB}} launch vehicle). One of the last missions of this design was the unmanned launch of {{w|Skylab}}, the U.S.'s first space station; for this payloader configuration, the Saturn V launch vehicle was officially designated the {{w|Saturn INT-21}}. | It was first used as the launch vehicle for the {{w|Apollo 4}} mission, and it was used as the launch vehicle for most of the subsequent {{w|Apollo mission}}s (the exceptions being Apollo 5, Apollo 7, Skylab 2-4, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project missions, which were launched using the smaller {{w|Saturn IB}} launch vehicle). One of the last missions of this design was the unmanned launch of {{w|Skylab}}, the U.S.'s first space station; for this payloader configuration, the Saturn V launch vehicle was officially designated the {{w|Saturn INT-21}}. | ||
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The Service Module (SM) Oxygen tanks have a note that states "This part had a ''VERY'' big problem once". This is a reference to the {{w|Apollo 13}} mission. 55 hours after launch, mission control requested the oxygen tanks contents be stirred to get an accurate reading of its contents. There was {{w|Apollo 13#Oxygen tank explosion|a large bang}}, and power fluctuated throughout the craft. NASA had to scramble to ensure the safe return of the astronauts. Needless to say, the moon landing for that mission was canceled. | The Service Module (SM) Oxygen tanks have a note that states "This part had a ''VERY'' big problem once". This is a reference to the {{w|Apollo 13}} mission. 55 hours after launch, mission control requested the oxygen tanks contents be stirred to get an accurate reading of its contents. There was {{w|Apollo 13#Oxygen tank explosion|a large bang}}, and power fluctuated throughout the craft. NASA had to scramble to ensure the safe return of the astronauts. Needless to say, the moon landing for that mission was canceled. | ||
| − | The {{w|Hindenburg disaster}} is referenced in the text "The kind of air that once burned a big sky bag and people died and someone said "oh, the [humans]!". The term "big sky bag" is used as the closest approximation of {{w|zeppelin}} which is a big bag filled with a lighter-than-air gas which makes the whole contraption float. The phrase "oh, the [humans]" is a workaround | + | The {{w|Hindenburg disaster}} is referenced in the text "The kind of air that once burned a big sky bag and people died and someone said "oh, the [humans]!". The term "big sky bag" is used as the closest approximation of {{w|zeppelin}} which is a big bag filled with a lighter-than-air gas which makes the whole contraption float. The phrase "oh, the [humans]" is a workaround the simple-words rule, technically containing only the word humans, while being read "concentration of humans" or "humanity". The {{w|LZ 129 Hindenburg|Hindenburg}} on the day of the disaster was filled with {{w|hydrogen}}, despite being initially designed for use with {{w|helium}}. Helium cannot catch fire as it is a {{w|noble gas}} and thus completely inert, but helium was unavailable due to a US export ban on the element. The risks seemed acceptable at the time because the Germans had a history of flying hydrogen-based passenger airships. The original quote is "Oh, the humanity!" (See this video about the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F54rqDh2mWA Hindenburg disaster] - the quote appears at 0:47). In the book ''[[Thing Explainer]]'' in the explanation for ''The pieces everything is made of'' (i.e. the {{w|Periodic table}}) hydrogen is again "named" by using a picture of the burning Hindenburg and also this quote is said by [[Cueball]] standing next to the square with the element with his hands over his mouth. See more below regarding the book. |
The bottom tank, which Randall describes as "...full of that stuff they burned in lights before houses had power" is highly refined kerosene, called {{w|RP-1}}, it is similar to jet fuel, burns well and is not likely to explode; unlike {{w|liquid hydrogen}}, which is much more likely to explode. | The bottom tank, which Randall describes as "...full of that stuff they burned in lights before houses had power" is highly refined kerosene, called {{w|RP-1}}, it is similar to jet fuel, burns well and is not likely to explode; unlike {{w|liquid hydrogen}}, which is much more likely to explode. | ||
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Earlier flirts with simple words can be found in [[547: Simple]] and [[722: Computer Problems]]. The use of simple words was revisited again in [[1436: Orb Hammer]] and [[1322: Winter]]. | Earlier flirts with simple words can be found in [[547: Simple]] and [[722: Computer Problems]]. The use of simple words was revisited again in [[1436: Orb Hammer]] and [[1322: Winter]]. | ||
| − | The comic is based on NASA-MSFC 10M04574 produced at Marshal Space Flight Center. | + | The comic is based on NASA-MSFC 10M04574 produced at Marshal Space Flight Center. Randal omitted the "S". The image was for sale as a poster from [http://up-ship.com up-ship.com] which Randal mentioned. A different scan is downloadable from [http://heroicrelics.org/info/saturn-v/as-503-inboard-profile.html Heroic Relics]. |
The phrase "You will not go to space today" has become something of a catchphrase for xkcd — variants of it recur in the title text of images in four What If? articles: | The phrase "You will not go to space today" has become something of a catchphrase for xkcd — variants of it recur in the title text of images in four What If? articles: | ||
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*The Pyramid of Giza (the energy that made it is not nearly enough to launch a rocket into space; the title text has another reference to the comic, noting that the tip of the pyramid should point towards space.) [http://what-if.xkcd.com/95/ Pyramid Energy] | *The Pyramid of Giza (the energy that made it is not nearly enough to launch a rocket into space; the title text has another reference to the comic, noting that the tip of the pyramid should point towards space.) [http://what-if.xkcd.com/95/ Pyramid Energy] | ||
| − | Randall has in 2015 written an entire book with this type of simplified language | + | Randall has in 2015 written an entire book with this type of simplified language blue prints. ''[[Thing Explainer]]'' was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on November 24, 2015 and actually had a copy of this comic in it. On the day of the book's release Randall also released a comic with a game, to celebrate the book: [[1608: Hoverboard]]. In this game the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e2/1608_0976x1079y_Space_capsule_with_parachutes.png space capsule] used for landing back on earth is shown, thus both referencing the book and this comic. This part of the space ship can also be seen in the book above the ''Sky toucher'' and the moon landing is also depicted in ''Worlds around the sun''. When the book was released Randall had ''Minute Physics'' do a "commercial" [https://youtu.be/2p_8gx-XHJo version of this comic]. |
The news about the upcoming release of the book was sent out on the [[Blag]] in May as [http://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ New book: Thing Explainer]. After that, the book was advertised at the top of the xkcd page with link to the Blag article and links to Preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, and Hudson. Also, there were two other news with links: "In other news, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygrdAvmr-MA Space Weird Thing is delightful], and I feel surprisingly invested in [https://twitter.com/xkcdbracket @xkcdbracket's] results." (The link was removed sometimes before Monday the 10th of August 2015. within two weeks of the brackets final result was revealed.) | The news about the upcoming release of the book was sent out on the [[Blag]] in May as [http://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ New book: Thing Explainer]. After that, the book was advertised at the top of the xkcd page with link to the Blag article and links to Preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, and Hudson. Also, there were two other news with links: "In other news, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygrdAvmr-MA Space Weird Thing is delightful], and I feel surprisingly invested in [https://twitter.com/xkcdbracket @xkcdbracket's] results." (The link was removed sometimes before Monday the 10th of August 2015. within two weeks of the brackets final result was revealed.) | ||
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[[Category:Simplified language]] | [[Category:Simplified language]] | ||
[[Category:Comics with xkcd store products]] | [[Category:Comics with xkcd store products]] | ||
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