Two Italian radio hackers vs. The Soviet Union's space program

Just a fantastic read. I am amazed that they were able to build all this stuff by hand whereas millions was spent by US and Russians for similar setups. Also, I couldn't imagine being watched by the KGB back in the day. It must have been no fun to walk around at night.

Re: Two Italian radio hackers vs. The Soviet Union's space program

#5

Post by ugh » Wed, Oct 13, 2010, 1:51 PM UTC

alx wrote: post #3

There was an excellent presentation at the 26C3 last winter about these records: https://events.ccc.de/congress/2009/Fahrplan/speakers/2755.e... Unfortunatly, I can't find a link to the presentation record.

Here you go: http://events.ccc.de/congress/2009/Fahrplan/events/3710.en.h...

Re: Two Italian radio hackers vs. The Soviet Union's space program

#6

Post by draven » Wed, Oct 13, 2010, 1:53 PM UTC

ugh wrote: post #5

alx wrote: post #3

There was an excellent presentation at the 26C3 last winter about these records: https://events.ccc.de/congress/2009/Fahrplan/speakers/2755.e... Unfortunatly, I can't find a link to the presentation record.

Here you go: http://events.ccc.de/congress/2009/Fahrplan/events/3710.en.h...

link does not work, but it seems there are lots of mirrors: http://mirror.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/pub/ccc/26C3/mp4/26...

Re: Two Italian radio hackers vs. The Soviet Union's space program

#7

Post by Luc » Wed, Oct 13, 2010, 2:08 PM UTC

This story keeps resurfacing every year or so. It's bogus.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2433/are-there-real...

Re: Two Italian radio hackers vs. The Soviet Union's space program

#8

Post by ANH » Wed, Oct 13, 2010, 2:15 PM UTC

I can always count on the Fortean Times to spark my imagination. The rational mind needs regular holidays in the land of the weird.

Re: Two Italian radio hackers vs. The Soviet Union's space program

#9

Post by adlep » Wed, Oct 13, 2010, 2:20 PM UTC

This is very interesting story. Thanks for posting this OP!

Re: Two Italian radio hackers vs. The Soviet Union's space program

#10

Post by yardie » Wed, Oct 13, 2010, 2:21 PM UTC

Luc wrote: post #7

This story keeps resurfacing every year or so. It's bogus. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2433/are-there-real...

Yeah, the rest of it sounds pretty reasonable, but the SOS one is sort of impossible that early in the space race. To reach escape velocity they would have to build and launch a Delta-III like rocket. And then scale back the later launches to ICBM based rockets? Yeah right!

But, and this is highly unlikely (but I'm trying to remember from astrophysics class), if the spacecraft was going fast enough (but not necessarily escape velocity) and entered the atmosphere at a shallow angle it could skip across the surface of the atmosphere until it achieved enough speed to escape orbit.

But that is highly, highly unlikely. Unless Russian scientists were born with Jedi powers of astromechanics.