I watch that program too and I find them using a mix of SI and FFU. Some episodes were more SI then others. I can't say for sure, but I think the older ones were more FFU and the newer shows tend to be more SI.
But back to the discussion, it is obvious from the last two responses everyone is just guessing and no one knows for sure. I doubt we could get a more definitive response from people at NASA. Euric PS. Saw Fahrenheit 9/11 last night. Great movie, all of you need to see it. ----- Original Message ----- From: "David King" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, 2004-06-27 09:11 Subject: [USMA:30231] Re: SpaceShipOne > I would have thought the USAF would have used air miles. :-) > > Seriously though, are not the USAF fully metric? I can only go by what I > have seen on TV, in the portrayal of the USAF in the series Stargate > SG1, where they were fully or almost fully metric, certainly did not use > miles but used kilometres (using the slang term "klicks"). > > David > > > James Wentworth wrote: > > > That old 50 mile definition of the boundary of space was set by the > > U.S. Air Force in the late 1950s or early 1960s, back when the X-15 > > rocket plane was flying (or just before it began flying). They awarded > > astronaut wings to USAF pilots who flew above 50 miles, and the U.S. > > Navy also followed this protocol (there were one or two Navy pilots > > who flew the X-15). My guess is that the USAF used statute miles for > > the definition. -- Jason > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* MightyChimp <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > *To:* U.S. Metric Association <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > *Sent:* Saturday, June 26, 2004 4:31 PM > > *Subject:* [USMA:30227] Re: SpaceShipOne > > > > I'd love to, but to whom? What are the chances that the person who > > responds would respond from authority or just assume it is > > statute. Just because someone works for NASA does not make them > > Rocket Scientists. There are a lot there who are ordinary people > > who are just as innumerate as the average FFU-ist. > > I was hoping someone on this list who has contact with maybe an > > engineer at NASA would be able to say with certainty which way it is. > > Euric > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > *From:* Pat Naughtin <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > *To:* Mighty Chimp <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ; U.S. > > Metric Association <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > *Sent:* Wednesday, 2004-06-23 18:22 > > *Subject:* Re: [USMA:30201] Re: SpaceShipOne > > > > Dear Euric, > > > > Why don’t you send this question to NASA? I’m sure that they > > would be delighted to answer it. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Pat Naughtin LCAMS > > Geelong, Australia > > -- > > > > on 2004-06-23 22.07, MightyChimp at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I'm replying to my own post with a question. > > > > Does anyone know if NASA's intended definition of the edge > > of space at 50 miles is 50 miles statute or nautical? One > > converts to 80.5 km and the other to 92.6 km. Of course > > the average person on the street does not the difference > > between the two or that there is even a difference. But I > > was under the impression that NASA's use of miles was > > nautical in nature and thus the edge of space as defined > > by NASA should be about 93 km. The nautical definition > > puts the boundary much closer to the accepted metric > > definition. > > > > Euric > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Here was something that appeared in the local paper > > this morning: > > > > > > The competition, which began in 1996, has attracted > > more then two dozend teams from around the world. It > > requires contestants to fly three people to an > > altitude of 62 miles [should have read 100 km] and > > then to repeat the flight with the same craft within > > two weeks. The boundary of space is not well defined; > > NASA gives astronaut status to anyone who has flown > > higher then 50 miles, but some European authorities > > mark the border at 62 miles. The X prize founders > > chose 62 miles. > > > > > > > >
