CATS solved long ago

> Man, how dumb are we?
>
> The answer was sitting in front of our noses back in the late 70s.
>
> Literally.
>
> Right on the TV screen.
>
> Anyone remember "Salvage 1", starring Andy Griffith.

Yep. I was tatally convinced that a cement mixer could double as a
space capsule.

> The problem is all of those fast rockets are bad for fuel economy.
> Just make a very SLOW rocket, I can't remember but I think 100
> m.p.h., and it'll be so cheap.

Well, the idea was that it would START OUT slow, and use constant
acceleration to reach orbital or escape speeds. It would land the
same way, slowing down to land all sweet and gentle. Of course, it
had to have a superfuel to do this: mono-hydrazine. If we were doing
it today, I'd guess that the superfuel would be meta-stable helium.

> I remember how damn funny it looked to have this slow-poke rocket
> taking off from a junkyard.
>
> http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/9782/salvage1.html
>
> Just thought I'd inject a little humorous retrospection onto the
> list.
>
> TangoMan

Thanks. Bringing back a part of my childhood (a FUN part!).

Xenophile (now if we can just get Col. Steve Austin to pilot the
thing...)