Editing 1461: Payloads

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There are also several joke insertions:
 
There are also several joke insertions:
*T-Rex - A dinosaur, but fairly unlikely to be found orbiting Earth.{{Citation needed}}
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*T-Rex - A dinosaur, but fairly unlikely to be found orbiting Earth.
 
*Pegasus - An actual {{w|Pegasus (rocket)|launch vehicle}}, but also the name of a {{w|Pegasus|mythical flying stallion}}. The payload is given as "one Pegasus", which comes out to be slightly less than "one horse".
 
*Pegasus - An actual {{w|Pegasus (rocket)|launch vehicle}}, but also the name of a {{w|Pegasus|mythical flying stallion}}. The payload is given as "one Pegasus", which comes out to be slightly less than "one horse".
 
*Atlas-Centaur - Again, an actual {{w|Atlas-Centaur|launch vehicle}}, but also a reference to the half-human half-horse creatures of Greek mythology. The payload is given in "centaurs", which come out to be slightly more than "horses".
 
*Atlas-Centaur - Again, an actual {{w|Atlas-Centaur|launch vehicle}}, but also a reference to the half-human half-horse creatures of Greek mythology. The payload is given in "centaurs", which come out to be slightly more than "horses".
*1981 {{w|Oldsmobile}} - Not a launch vehicle, but in fact a car. The payload is given as 4 horses, which may relate to the carrying capacity (by weight) of the Oldsmobile, not the ability of an Oldsmobile to launch that payload into low Earth orbit. While there are no known examples of an Oldsmobile reaching low Earth orbit, {{w|The Blues Brothers (film)|''The Blues Brothers''}} movie shows an Oldsmobile performing a very, very long flight, and this might be the reason why Randall chose this specific car.
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*1981 {{w|Oldsmobile}} - Not a launch vehicle, but in fact a car. The payload is given as 4 horses, which may relate to the carrying capacity (by weight) of the Oldsmobile, not the ability of an Oldsmobile to launch that payload into low Earth orbit. While there are no known examples of an Oldsmobile reaching low Earth orbit, the [[w:Blues Brothers]] movie shows an Oldsmobile performing a very, very long flight, and this might be the reason why Randall chose this specific car.
  
 
The Pegasus, 1981 Oldsmobile, and Stratolaunch spacecraft are depicted horizontally, because these vehicles launch from a horizontal starting position and use forward momentum to facilitate their launch.
 
The Pegasus, 1981 Oldsmobile, and Stratolaunch spacecraft are depicted horizontally, because these vehicles launch from a horizontal starting position and use forward momentum to facilitate their launch.
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The title text refers to a favourite subject of Randall's - The {{w|space elevator}}. A space elevator is a (currently theoretical) mechanism for travelling into space, consisting of a very long (>35,000 km) cable and counterweight connected to the Earth at the equator. The cable rotates at the same rate as the earth, and thus appears stationary when viewed from earth. It is then possible to climb the cable into space, and even use it as a slingshot to launch vehicles.
 
The title text refers to a favourite subject of Randall's - The {{w|space elevator}}. A space elevator is a (currently theoretical) mechanism for travelling into space, consisting of a very long (>35,000 km) cable and counterweight connected to the Earth at the equator. The cable rotates at the same rate as the earth, and thus appears stationary when viewed from earth. It is then possible to climb the cable into space, and even use it as a slingshot to launch vehicles.
  
In the title text, the amount of power required to lift a horse into space has been investigated, with the launch capacity of a backyard solar array and large power station compared. The orbit to launch horses is not precised, though; from the space elevator, the only circular orbit easily achievable is geostationary orbit, and getting into Low Earth Orbit is only slightly easier than without the elevator. Assuming the lowest stable orbit (that is, above the atmosphere), required power output of the solar array is about 315-350 kW and the power station at 3.3-3.7 GW.
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In the title text, the amount of power required to lift a horse into space has been investigated, with the launch capacity of a back yard solar array and large power station compared. A rudimentary (and possibly incorrect) calculation in the discussion section puts the required power output of the solar array at 315 kW and the power station at 3.3 GW.
  
 
===Tables===
 
===Tables===
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|28,750 & 45,573
 
|28,750 & 45,573
 
|}
 
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Terrastar is believed to be a misspelling of {{w|TerreStar-1|TerreStar}}, based on its mass and launch date.
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<nowiki>*</nowiki>Terrastar is believed to be a mis-spelling of {{w|TerreStar-1|TerreStar}}, based on its mass and launch date.
  
 
<nowiki>†</nowiki>Keyhole 3 and 7 seem to be errors; Keyhole 3 satellites were launched between 1961 and 1962 and Keyhole 7 between 1963 and 1967.<br>
 
<nowiki>†</nowiki>Keyhole 3 and 7 seem to be errors; Keyhole 3 satellites were launched between 1961 and 1962 and Keyhole 7 between 1963 and 1967.<br>
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|-
 
|-
 
|{{w|Falcon Heavy}}
 
|{{w|Falcon Heavy}}
|2018-02-06
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|2015 (Projected)
 
|118
 
|118
 
|53,000
 
|53,000
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==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[This comic is a wide drawing, with a larger drawing that can be reached by clicking the small picture on xkcd. In the smaller picture shown on xkcd only the text that is not red can be read. The transcript below is thus for the large drawing. It is divided into three horizontal sections. The first section is black and shows spacecrafts, the second is white and shows launch vehicles, and the third is black again showing a timeline ranging from 1950 to the future. The vehicles are shown by the proper number of horses, and when that weight is less than one full horse also in the weight of other smaller animals.]
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{{incomplete transcript}}
 
 
:[The black section:]
 
:<big><big>Spacecraft mass</big></big>
 
:<big>Measured in horses</big>
 
 
 
:<font color="red">Sputnik -- <1 horse (2 dogs )</font>
 
:<font color="red">Vanguard 1 -- <1 horse (Squirrel )</font>
 
:<font color="red">Pioneer 5 -- <1 horse (Large dog)</font>
 
:<font color="red">Mariner 2  (United States) -- <1 horse (3 dogs )</font>
 
:<font color="red">Venera 1 (USSR) -- 1 horse</font>
 
:<font color="red">Apollo -- 67 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Venera 7 -- 3 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Pioneer 10 -- <1 horse (7 dogs)</font>
 
:<font color="red">Skylab -- 171 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Venera 9 -- 11 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Voyager 2 -- 2 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Shuttle (Total) -- 206 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Shuttle Payload -- 54 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Mir -- 288  horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">T-Rex -- 15 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Hubble -- 25 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Compton Gamma Ray Observatory -- 38 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Keyhole 3 -- Spy satellite</font>
 
:<font color="red">International Space Station -- 932 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Cassini -- 11 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Huygens lander -- 1 horse</font>
 
:<font color="red">Rosetta -- 6 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Opportunity -- <1 horse (5 dogs)</font>
 
:<font color="red">Dawn -- 3 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Terrastar -- 15 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Dragon -- 17 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Tiangong-1 -- 19 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Curiosity -- 2 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Keyhole 7 -- 40 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Orion (capsule) -- 20 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">James Webb Telescope -- 14 horses</font>
 
:[20 horses:]
 
:<font color="red">Orion</font>
 
:[25 horses:]
 
:<font color="red">Orion Service Module</font>
 
:[65 horses:]
 
:<font color="red">Orion Deep-Space Habitat</font>
 
 
 
:[The white section:]
 
:<big><big>Launch vehicle capacity</big></big>
 
:(Payloads to low earth orbit)
 
:<big>Measured in horses</big>
 
 
 
:<font color="red">Sputnik Launcher -- 1 horse</font>
 
:<font color="red">Thor -- <1 horse (3 dogs)</font>
 
:<font color="red">Mercury-Atlas -- 3 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Saturn I -- 20 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Proton-K -- 44 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Atlas-Centaur -- 8 centaurs</font>
 
:<font color="red">Titan IIIA -- 7 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Saturn IB -- 45 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Soyuz -- 14 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Saturn V -- 262 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Black Arrow --  <1 horse (4 dogs)</font>
 
:<font color="red">N1 -- 211 horse -- Exploded on Launch pad</font>
 
:<font color="red">Long March 1 -- 2 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">N-I (Japan) -- 4 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Delta 0900 -- 3 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Ariane 1 -- 3 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">SLV (India) --  <1 horse (1 dog)</font>
 
:<font color="red">N-II -- 4 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">1981 Oldsmobile -- 4 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">ASLV --  <1 horse (4 dogs)</font>
 
:<font color="red">Long March 4A -- 9 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Ariane 4 -- 16 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Shavit (Israel) --  <1 horse (6 dogs)</font>
 
:<font color="red">Energia -- 218 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Pegasus -- 1 Pegasus</font>
 
:<font color="red">Atlas I -- 13 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">PSLV -- 8 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">J-I -- 2 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Long March 3B -- 27 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">H-IIA -- 22 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Delta IV-H -- 64 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Falcon 1 -- 1 horse</font>
 
:<font color="red">Ariane 5ES -- 47 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">H-IIB -- 37 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Unha (North Korea) --  <1 horse (2 dogs)</font>
 
:<font color="red">Atlas V 541 -- 38 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Falcon 9 -- 29 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Antares -- 14 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Stratolaunch -- 14 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">Falcon Heavy -- 118 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">SLS Block 1 -- 156 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">SLS Block 1B -- 217 horses</font>
 
:<font color="red">SLS Block 2 -- 289 horses</font>
 
 
 
:[The timeline:]
 
:1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, Future
 
 
 
A larger transcript with image descriptions can be found here: [[1461: Payloads/Transcript|Full transcript]]
 
 
 
==Trivia==
 
*Later after the initial release of this comic Randall added a link to this page. It's viewable in the HTML-source or here: [https://xkcd.com/1461/info.0.json https://xkcd.com/1461/info.0.json]. The text is: ''"This comic is an infographic. A very good transcription is available in complete form here: http:\n\nwww.explainxkcd.com\nwiki\nindex.php\n1461"''. At the time this was added here was no written transcript but a complete explain section.
 
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
 
[[Category:Charts]]
 
[[Category:Timelines]]
 
 
[[Category:Animals]]
 
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Squirrels]]
 
 
[[Category:Space]]
 
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Space probes]]
 
[[Category:Telescopes]]
 
[[Category:Mars rovers]]
 

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