Editing 2804: Marshmallow
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
+ | {{incomplete|Created by a CELESTIAL S'MORE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
This comic shows the atmospheric re-entry process of a capsule similar to that used in the Apollo moon landing program in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This capsule features a fictional Reentry Marshmallow Toasting Module, with a marshmallow on a deployable stick, which is exposed to airflow during reentry. | This comic shows the atmospheric re-entry process of a capsule similar to that used in the Apollo moon landing program in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This capsule features a fictional Reentry Marshmallow Toasting Module, with a marshmallow on a deployable stick, which is exposed to airflow during reentry. | ||
− | During reentry, the | + | During reentry, the module would presumably be going at orbital speeds, which for Earth are in excess of 8 km/s. This high velocity heats up the air around the capsule as the kinetic energy is dissipated.{{Actual citation needed}} This has the effect of heating the marshmallow. Additionally, reentry heating effects typically look like flames covering the bottom of the reentering object. This is very similar to a common practice on the Earth's surface of holding a marshmallow on a stick over a static fire on the ground, like a campfire, which also heats the marshmallow, improving its taste. |
− | At the start of the panel, the | + | At the start of the panel, the module is approaching atmospheric entry, so any aerodynamic forces would not have begun yet. "All systems nominal" is an aerospace phrase that means all systems (including life support, navigation and stability systems) are performing as expected. However, once the atmospheric effects begin then something goes wrong. |
Having a long, thin extension to the airflow will disrupt the aerodynamics, as air starts pushing up against the roasting stick, creating an unbalanced torque that pushes the marshmallow further back into the airflow, rotating the entire capsule. This angular acceleration continues until the aerodynamic design of the rest of the capsule plays a significant factor, rotating the capsule back to its original position, and starting the uncontrollable cycle of oscillations anew. Hence, the astronaut on board reports some oscillations to Houston. | Having a long, thin extension to the airflow will disrupt the aerodynamics, as air starts pushing up against the roasting stick, creating an unbalanced torque that pushes the marshmallow further back into the airflow, rotating the entire capsule. This angular acceleration continues until the aerodynamic design of the rest of the capsule plays a significant factor, rotating the capsule back to its original position, and starting the uncontrollable cycle of oscillations anew. Hence, the astronaut on board reports some oscillations to Houston. | ||
− | + | Houston is a city in Texas, United States, where Mission Control for NASA is established. Astronauts in space would communicate with "Houston", as the specific person on the other end would vary with which shift was working. These communications are established via radio. During reentry, the superheated air forms a plasma phase and disrupts radio wave signals. Hence, it is doubtful that Mission Control would have received this communication from the capsule, and it is very unlikely Mission Control would have received further updates from the capsule until the reentry process was largely finished. This would make the Mission Control operators very concerned over the success of the reentry. | |
− | + | This prompts the unnamed astronaut to tell his colleague, Smith, to put away the marshmallow roaster. This would clean up the aerodynamic profile and stop the oscillation. This is met with resistance that the marshmallow is not cooked yet. This may be expected, as due to the design of the module, it appears as though the marshmallow has been on the outside of the module for the entire journey, exposed to the vacuum of space. In this situation, it would have radiated all its heat energy away, reaching temperatures near absolute zero (approximately -273.15 degrees Celsius, the absolute coldest temperature physically achievable). A very brief moment of shock heating from atmospheric effects may not have bought the marshmallow up to a consumable temperature, or even affected the internals of the marshmallow at all. The goal of roasting marshmallows is often to melt the inside of a marshmallow completely, so if this is still frozen, that defeats the entire purpose of the module. | |
− | + | No Apollo mission had an astronaut with the name "Smith" | |
− | The title text refers to a popular snack of | + | The caption for the panel muses that maybe the concept of the module was a mistake, which is a fair assessment given the number of flaws in the design. |
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+ | The title text refers to a popular snack of s'mores, made by placing a marshmallow roasted over a fire with some chocolate between two crackers, similar to a sandwich. It also refers to a problem in rocketry known as Kessler syndrome, where vast amounts of space junk in low earth orbit reduce the chance of successful rocket launches, as new launches may crash into existing space junk, causing a rapid unplanned disassembly. These two concepts are combined in a ridiculous way, whereby instead of space junk, it is Graham crackers and chocolate bars that are polluting space. These, combined with the marshmallow from the toasting module, would create celestial s'mores, a novel and frankly whacky concept. The specific choice of Graham crackers may reference Graham's number, which is unfathomably large to the human mind. This connects to the unfathomable amount of crackers and chocolate bars that would be in orbit for Kessler s'mores to ever present a serious problem. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
− | + | [as follows, left to right, top to bottom] | |
− | + | Capsule begins reentry. | |
− | : | + | :Smith: We're approaching atmospheric entry. |
− | : | + | :Smith: All systems nominal. |
− | + | :Fwip | |
− | : | + | Marshmallow roasting rod deployed |
− | + | :Smith: Houston, we're experiencing some oscillations. Vehicle is becoming difficult to control. | |
− | + | :Mission control: Smith, retract that stupid arm. | |
− | : | + | :Smith: No! It's not ready yet! |
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:[Caption below the panel:] | :[Caption below the panel:] | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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