Grrrrr...<growling inarticulately> Someone should sit Mr. Herring down and
explain to him that Alpha is an *I-N-T-E-R-N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L* (can you spell
that, Mr. Herring?) space station. NASA already got a concession on the
language issue (English is used aboard). It is only fair that NASA should
give a concession to the partners (use of SI units). If NASA gets to call
all the shots, the other countries and their space agencies aren't really
partners, they're just servants. And Americans wonder why we are called
imperialists (in more senses than one!) by other countries... I guess being
a superpower means never having to share or say you're sorry.
Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: kilopascal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2001 8:01 PM
Subject: [USMA:11942] Re: NASA's units
> 2001-03-29
>
> Today I received my Mar-Apr 2001 issue of Metric Today. Very interesting
> feature article Metric Mayhem by Michael Milstein publish originally in
the
> Feb-Mar issue of Air & Space; a publication of the Smithsonian Institute.
>
> I think someone from the USMA should reprint it to the list for all to
read.
> I'm sure someone must have it on disk in some text file format that can be
> cut and pasted here.
>
> I like the fact that someone picked up on my invention of the FFU term,
even
> though my name wasn't mentioned. That's ok, as long as it is gaining
> acceptance. Maybe it will become the official name for non-SI someday. I
> hope.
>
> In the same paragraph as my FFU term is a nasty comment by someone at
NASA.
> I will post this paragraph here:
>
> MIXTURE OF METRIC AND INCH-POUND IS COSTLY
>
> The article lists some of the inch-pound units, stating that most of them
> have no logical relationship to one another. The author says that metric
> advocates call inch pound units Fred Flintstone Units (FFU). He also
notes
> that US insistence on using those FFUs shows a lack of backbone which
> resulted in the International Space Station's being constructed in metric
> units, except for the US portion which is inch-pound.
>
> NOT GET THIS FOLKS (Emphasis mine):
>
> Kyle Herring of NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Texas, is quoted as stating
> that, after the US acquires control of the International Space Station,
only
> inch-pound units will be used.
>
>
> What is this? For sure a clear violation of NASA's own directives and
> Federal laws. Is there something WE can do about this? Can our European
> friends contact their respective governments and demand to know why
European
> money is supporting a project that is anti-European by forcing Europeans
to
> adapt to non-SI at a time when the US is suppose to be metricating to meet
> the 2010 deadline?
>
> The European partners should withhold funding and further co-operation
> unless metric units are used on the space station.
>
> What an outrage!!!!
>
>
> John
>
> Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrtümlich glaubt
> frei zu sein.
>
> There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe
they
> are free!
>
> Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pat Naughtin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Thursday, 2001-03-29 20:33
> Subject: [USMA:11939] Re: NASA's units
>
>
> > Dear Karl, and All
> >
> > Sitting in Australia we perceive that from time to time a space station
> has
> > the potential to drop on our heads.
> >
> > The score so far is one hit (Skylab) and one miss (Mir).
> >
> > On the available evidence it would seem that versts (km) are better than
> > miles (international, statute, survey, or nautical?) from an Australian
> > point of view.
> >
> > However, from a Northern Hemisphere viewpoint I don't suppose it matters
> all
> > that much. Whether you use versts, miles, or even kilometres, the used
> space
> > stations still fall 'safely' in the Southern Hemisphere.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Pat Naughtin CAMS
> > Geelong, Australia
> >
> > on 2001-03-28 06.59, Karl G. Ruling at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> >
> > > At 11:59 3/27/01 -0700, you wrote:
> > >> NASA must be using, or continues to allow to be used, the word miles
as
> the
> > >> lingo in which its astronauts routinely converse. I suppose the
> Russian on
> > >> board is learning to use miles too. Who knows which 'mile" they mean
> > >> because it doesn't matter since accuracy doesn't matter with
Americans
> even
> > >> if they are scientists or aviators.
> > >
> > >
> > > Are the Americans getting used to the Russians using versts? That
would
> > > seem to be only fair.
> > >
> > > A verst is pretty close to a kilometer, so at least if the Russians
did
> use
> > > versts, it wouldn't be too hard to convert to a unit that isn't
archaic.
> > >
> >
>
>
