Homing in on Scotty

Dale Cipra, Los Angeles, CA — Tue, 15 May 2007 14:02:40 GMT

It was interesting how wrong most cable and network news shows got this simple story. Most reported the ashes were going to deep space, some reported into orbit, and very few got it right as suborbital. One can't help but wonder what they getting wrong reporting on complex stories...

Homing in on Scotty

Michelle Katrina, Austin, TX — Tue, 15 May 2007 15:00:14 GMT

Kudos to UP Aerospace for this launch but much needed smacks on the head go to Rick Homans (the Acting Director of the Spaceport - at $135K per year) for his part in changing the aim point at the last minute. That's what happens when you put politicians in technical positions. My friends at WSMR tell me that they were very happy with Jerry Larson’s aim point and were satisfied that it would be a safe landing. However, Homans has been directed by Bill Richardson to ensure that nothing gets in the way of Virgin Galactic’s space port plans so that means no safety issues. By the way, that's why he wouldn't let Jerry launch until late April (after the state legislature ended their session and the tax vote in Las Cruces was finished). No launches equals a safe space port and no controversy.

But most disturbing was Rick's last minute change of the aim point. His comment was that safety is number one - that's the last refuge of the timid and cowardly. He made UP move the launch 5 miles west which put the landing in the mountains. If you go with Jerry’s original aim point then the payload would be recovered the next day.

This will work out and UP will recover the payload but the more important issue is that we have got to get the timid politicians and cowardly bureaucrats out of the way so that we can move ahead with true space commercialization.

Homing in on Scotty

Chet Twarog, Milky Way Galaxy, Universe — Tue, 15 May 2007 15:53:31 GMT

Alan Boyle wrote: “The idea was to send capsules containing small samples of cremated remains above the 62-mile boundary of outer space and back - thus providing a posthumous taste of space.”

This has got to be labeled: “irrationality”.

Firstly, the very best scientific, medical, and rational evidence strongly suggests that death is the end process of “self”, i.e., brain death is brain “processes” death is “mind” death as well. “Scotty and Gordo” ceased to exist as “Scotty and Gordo” as soon as they died. Therefore, no “posthumous taste of space”.

Secondly, their dead organic bodies are the organic remains of what once were “Scotty and Gordo”, or anyone. The organic remains are no longer “Scotty or Gordo or anyone”.

[Ok, until their organic bodies decay, you could extract their unique DNA. If cloned, the result would not be another cloned “Scotty” person but just a different “person” with a “Scotty” body]. [Ah, I can’t wait until the religious minded start their rants/raves without any evidence to “prove” me wrong. IF ONLY there was real, verifiable, testable, falsifiable evidence instead of “faith”. Try reading Homer, Ovid, Apollonius, or Hesoid.]

Thirdy, the cremated remains are just “carbon ash” with no DNA, no “personality”, from which no clone could ever be extracted or even identified to be the ashes of “Scotty”.

Finally, there is not any (spiritual) “heaven” that of which you refer. Neither is there any “spiritual” “Scotty” or any one: magical thinking and make-believe.

So, it is actually merely an $$$ stunt to launch cremated remains of any one into orbit or space.

Homing in on Scotty

Ken Heise, Petersburg VA — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:44:57 GMT

Don't hate.

Homing in on Scotty

Pat Williamson — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:20:50 GMT

Too bad the ashes couldn't have kept on traveling out of the solar system. Scottie would have loved that!

Homing in on Scotty

Beth B, Seattle WA — Tue, 15 May 2007 18:07:04 GMT

so let me guess, chet... you have no wishes for your final resting place so your stinking corpse is going to decompose where you fall when you pass on? at least have some respect for those who have passed on before us... if they wanted to be shot into space, or if their family members thought it would be cool or appropriate, they have that right. or do you stand around cemetaries at funerals criticizing someone's choice of wood versus steel for the coffin of a deceased loved one?

Homing in on Scotty

Jamie Curtis — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:05:00 GMT

All of this is mildly interesting, but in the context of world events...?

Homing in on Scotty

Chuck Epperson — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:04:28 GMT

Chet, if it gives someone or their family comfort to know where their ashes, or their casket will remain for eternity, why would you feel called upon to call their wishes irrational? They, or their families freely chose this route, with it's consequent (high) cost. Have your remains cremated or dumped in a ditch, whatever you may think appropriate, but why not refrain from criticizing others!

Homing in on Scotty

Heather, Huntsville, AL — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:09:11 GMT

I just feel bad for the students who designed the more than 50 experiments that were also part of the rockets' payload. If they don't find it soon the experiments will not make it back to students in time before school lets out for summer break.

Homing in on Scotty

Aaron Oesterle, Mason, MI — Tue, 15 May 2007 22:46:45 GMT

Jamie Curtis - the reason its important in the context of world events has more to do with the advancing of space development and space colonization. UP Aerospace's rocket wasn't that much advanced, but their business plan was really intellengent, and it has made major breakthrough when it comes to financing of spacecrafts.

And in a few years, people will see just how far we are advancing in manned spaceflight and colonization

Homing in on Scotty

Mike Maxwell, Laurel MD — Thu, 17 May 2007 02:52:09 GMT

The landing place reminds me of where the astronauts ended up in a Twilight Zone episode. They thought they were marooned on an asteroid, and one killed the other for a canteen of water. Turned out they were on Earth. Ironic...

Homing in on Scotty

Des Emery,The Carborundum Chronicles,St.Thomas,ON,Canada — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:03:24 GMT

Chet decries Alan's "irrationality," then gives himself an unpronounceable surname and lists his address as the Milky Way Galaxy. Sorry, totally "irrational."

Homing in on Scotty

cibertrix — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:08:19 GMT

Seems a real waste of time and money that the best that UP Ae can do with these wonderful celebrity's remains is nothing more than to fling them away somewhere while claiming some kind of sub-orbital flight - kind of a pointless exercise except for the bank accounts of UP Ae. At the very least the celebrities should have been sent on a one-way deep-space flight that keeps a dream alive - shame that they have been tossed away and lost like this.

Homing in on Scotty

Chet Twarog — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:51:05 GMT

Well, whenever I should cease to exist because I die, it won't matter to me, since I won't be, what happens to these organic remains. If viable, I would want organs to be transplanted. Yes, I have even considered taking a long swim or dying in a cave to let these organic remains recycle into the biosphere.

Decaying remains in coffins or tombs in cemeteries reflect primitive religious magical thinking.

The other point that I was making, is that there no longer exists a James Doohan "Scotty"--so the cremated ashes are not "Scotty" being launched.

So, Beth, they have not "passed on or are resting in peace or laid to rest". They are all dead and no longer. There is no eternity for them or us - nada.

Okay, if we would all realize that death is the end of our existence as a unique and one-of-a-kind person, maybe, perhaps, we would then live well, as long and healthy as possible, and stop war and killing, and poverty, and ....

If launching cremated, or not, remains into orbit or interstellar space awakens a positive, pro-active cheaper access to space for all who want to go and begin to colonize the Solar System, I am for it.

Homing in on Scotty

Jacob Williamson, Austin, Texas — Fri, 18 May 2007 17:19:18 GMT

Hmm...well, having a small but measurable portion of my former housemate on this particular flight, I'll just add that memorials are really not at heart for the inert matter of your loved one, but as an expression of grief and love from the survivors--who desperately need something to do with their hands and minds, some way of expressing a tribute to someone they can't say goodbye to anymore.

The argument of whether or not there's a soul to appreciate the tribute isn't something that's A) worth trashing someone in a forum for and B) usefully resolvable in a forum.

I'm wondering about the samples-sent-back thing. It's almost a downer, since the company's promise was something along the lines, sentimental though they are, of "your loved one would loop once around the earth and then probably go into a suborbital path and become a shooting star." A service which, oh yes, you did pay a bit for (but not so much more than any other funeral-type service, which tend to be huge money sinks).