What NASA learned from Moonraker

FiremassFiremass AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
in General James Bond Chat
The other day I visited the Endeavor space shuttle in California. You may remember all publicity about its final journey to the Science Center as it was towed down the busy streets of Los Angeles. There were also a lot of photos on display of the shuttle being transported on the back of a Boeing 747, which of course makes me think of Moonraker. I attached a postcard image and pointed out a couple things that NASA did to ensure Hugo Drax would not hi-jack the shuttle in mid-air.


Moonraker_NASA.jpg


PS- The official timeline in the museum dates back to 1981. Moonraker was so cutting edge and so cool to feature space shuttles back in 1979.
My current 10 favorite:

1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
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Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Yes the first launch was supposed to coincide with the opening of the Film,
    But bloody NASA let them down. :D How hard is it to get a reusable space
    Craft up and running ? :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I suspect that someone in NASA was dropped into a Pool of Piranha Fish that Day :))
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    The sad thing is that it wasn't replaced. Normally mankind replaces things for
    a more advanced option but at the moment we have no shuttle and no replacement
    For Concorde, we were more advanced in the 80s. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    They haven't even noticed the stealth space station in orbit, they are so backward these days...
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    They probably did it at night, so no one would see. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Regarding moonraker ,ive actually been inside a space shuttle :) , I will see if I can dig out the evidence to back up my outrageous claim :D
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I always knew that you were out of this World :))
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I hope the photo wasn't taken in space AS, as I like a photo with some Atmosphere ! ;%
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Well here goes
    moonraker_005.jpg
    This is the space shuttle ,its big :D
    moonraker_002.jpg
    this is inside the space shuttle ,the yellow stuff is gold plate ,they coated the inside of the loading bay with it :)
    moonraker_003.jpg
    these are the fuel tanks, the orange stuff is a type of rust, if they painted it it would weigh an extra 4 tons ,(they are that big)
    hope you enjoy my pictures, they where taken at the cape in 2003 ,
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    He was probably as high as a Kite :D
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    {[] nice pictures.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Brilliant Pictures :)
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    The thing is massive , on another occasion ,we was watching the Shamu show In Sea world, FL (its between the I,4 and international drive) and one of these things took off from Kennedy , which is the best part of 60 miles away(,ie London to Brighton )any way , the Shamu crowd went ballistic , USA USA, so thinks to myself ,wot these nanas on ,its only a bloody fish,
    what they could see ,was the smoke/fumes from the engines as it shot to the skies ,it was hard not to cry, bloody amazin :)
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I felt the same strength of emotions when I first saw Eddie the Eagle soar ! ;)
    Only ever seen footage of take offs, but the night launches looked amazing. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Thunderpussy wrote:
    I felt the same strength of emotions when I first saw Eddie the Eagle soar ! ;)
    Only ever seen footage of take offs, but the night launches looked amazing. -{

    I just cried when I saw ETE ,(is this the best we ( GB ) can come up with) 8-)
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) :)) :)) at the Time yes. :#
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I honestly had to Google ETE :))
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Poor old Eddie was a bit of a joke like the other guy "The eel" I can't remember his
    Name. The swimmer who couldn't really swim. :)) After them they changed the rules.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • PaperbillPaperbill FloridaPosts: 810MI6 Agent
    Living in the area of the Kennedy Space Center, I have seen numerous shuttle launches, both from very close (a couple of miles) to 70 miles. They were always cool. I did see a shuttle retune on the back of a 747 in the mid 1980's that was fantastic. I also saw the Challenger disaster from Orlando, only caught the falling debris.
  • MilleniumForceMilleniumForce LondonPosts: 1,214MI6 Agent
    I love this about Moonraker. We have a millionaire who has had a chateau moved from France brick by brick to Los Angeles, has two vicious dogs, hires Jaws in an instant, finds a plant in the Amazon that kills humans, secretly have scientists build globes that will crash into earth and kill everyone whilst having a crew of 'perfect' people he managed to find and who agrees to his plan whilst having built six shuttles, one with a laser beam attached to it, to go to a space station not even NASA can find, which he managed to get into space without even Mi6 knowing with a plan to destroy the earth....

    And everyone fusses about him being able to hijack his OWN space shuttle.
    1.LTK 2.AVTAK 3.OP 4.FYEO 5.TND 6.LALD 7.GE 8.GF 9.TSWLM 10.SPECTRE 11.SF 12.MR 13.YOLT 14.TLD 15.CR (06) 16.TMWTGG 17.TB 18.FRWL 19.TWINE 20.OHMSS 21.DAF 22.DAD 23.QoS 24.NSNA 25.DN 26.CR (67)
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Also if it wasn't for the shoddy workmanship on his Faulty shuttle, Bond wouldn't have
    gotten involved and the old goat would've gotten away with it. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • The Domino EffectThe Domino Effect Posts: 3,631MI6 Agent
    MilleniumForce wrote:
    I love this about Moonraker. We have a millionaire who has had a chateau moved from France brick by brick to Los Angeles, has two vicious dogs, hires Jaws in an instant, finds a plant in the Amazon that kills humans, secretly have scientists build globes that will crash into earth and kill everyone whilst having a crew of 'perfect' people he managed to find and who agrees to his plan whilst having built six shuttles, one with a laser beam attached to it, to go to a space station not even NASA can find, which he managed to get into space without even Mi6 knowing with a plan to destroy the earth....

    And everyone fusses about him being able to hijack his OWN space shuttle.

    I had to read this twice because the first time I read it I thought you were looking into the future and referring to Jeremy Clarkson!
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I can't see Jeremy Clarkson killing off Humanity and starting a Colony in Space :))
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • The Domino EffectThe Domino Effect Posts: 3,631MI6 Agent
    If Sky offered him enough money, he might! :)
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Ah!, come on ! Who hasn't thought of killing off humanity and starting a
    Colony in space ? :D isn't that the dream ? ;) or is that just Me ? :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I have, but just under the Sea ;)
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Now you sound like the little mermaid. ;) :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • FiremassFiremass AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
    Thunderpussy wrote:
    Ah!, come on ! Who hasn't thought of killing off humanity and starting a
    Colony in space ? :D isn't that the dream ? ;) or is that just Me ? :))

    +1 :D
    My current 10 favorite:

    1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
  • FiremassFiremass AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
    Bond fans who dismiss Moonraker as a Star Wars clone are way off the mark. Moonraker is about the world's best science & technology falling into the hands of a man like Hitler.

    I must admit the first few times I watched MR, I thought the transporting scene was complete fiction. One of those "Ha ha, yeah right" moments when the shuttle is flying on the back of the 747.

    Oh, and I love the Air France Concorde jet as well. The exact one featured in MR is apparently at the Air Museum in Washington DC.
    My current 10 favorite:

    1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    In my Opinion, the MR Shuttle being highjacked is a brilliant Scene :)
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
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