Editing 2876: Range Safety
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
+ | {{incomplete|Created by a RANGE EXPLOSION OFFICER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
− | A {{w|Range Safety}} | + | A {{w|Range Safety}} officer is responsible for ensuring the safety of the flight of a missile or launch vehicle – such as the rocket in the comic. This involves tasks like creating a launch corridor clear of any aircraft or ships, as well as ensuring that atmospheric conditions are favorable for a launch. |
− | In this comic | + | In this comic the Range Safety Officer has noticed reports of thunderstorms downrange, and has ordered a hold as conditions are no longer favorable. |
− | + | In this comic, Randall imagines the opposite position, a "Range Danger Officer," responsible for ensuring that the flight of the vehicle is dangerous. Flying into the biggest thunderstorm may qualify as dangerous. Someone on the staff justifiably wonders what reason there is for that position to exist. | |
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The title text imagines a Range Mischief Officer, responsible for mischief – generally defined as minor/playful annoyance. Introducing a random unknown spin may qualify, since the spin shouldn't affect the flight too much, but would make all the flight engineers nervous about the flight as they seek to understand why telemetry is inverted (or why it is not!), as they work out the cause and whether it is symptomatic of bigger underlying issues or just a technical change of reference to an otherwise correct flight trajectory. Whether the spin is purely axial or end-over-end would probably matter greatly! | The title text imagines a Range Mischief Officer, responsible for mischief – generally defined as minor/playful annoyance. Introducing a random unknown spin may qualify, since the spin shouldn't affect the flight too much, but would make all the flight engineers nervous about the flight as they seek to understand why telemetry is inverted (or why it is not!), as they work out the cause and whether it is symptomatic of bigger underlying issues or just a technical change of reference to an otherwise correct flight trajectory. Whether the spin is purely axial or end-over-end would probably matter greatly! | ||
The Range Danger Officer and Range Mischief Officer both sound like suitable positions for [[Black Hat]], xkcd's resident [[classhole]]. | The Range Danger Officer and Range Mischief Officer both sound like suitable positions for [[Black Hat]], xkcd's resident [[classhole]]. | ||
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[A rocket is on a launchpad with a tower next to it | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
+ | :[A rocket is on a launchpad with a tower next to it, with a few birds flying around them. Voices are coming from a nearby building. The scene is shown in black silhouette on a white background.] | ||
:Voice: There are reports of thunderstorms in the downrange area. | :Voice: There are reports of thunderstorms in the downrange area. | ||
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:Voice: The Range Safety Officer has ordered a launch hold. | :Voice: The Range Safety Officer has ordered a launch hold. | ||
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:Voice: But the Range '''''Danger''''' Officer wants to launch the rocket toward the biggest thunderstorm. | :Voice: But the Range '''''Danger''''' Officer wants to launch the rocket toward the biggest thunderstorm. | ||
:Voice 2: Okay, why do we even '''''have''''' that position? | :Voice 2: Okay, why do we even '''''have''''' that position? | ||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
+ | * '''This trivia section was created by a BOT''' | ||
* The [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/range_safety.png standard size] image was uploaded with a resolution/size larger than the supposed 2x version. | * The [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/range_safety.png standard size] image was uploaded with a resolution/size larger than the supposed 2x version. | ||
− | + | * This may have been an error. | |
* The tower next to the rocket was also missing from panel 2. | * The tower next to the rocket was also missing from panel 2. | ||
− | * | + | * These were later corrected. |
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} |