@isaackuo @archaeohistories except the capsule had no thrusters on it.
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In 1959, a cement mixer with a full load of cement, wrecked near Winganon, Oklahoma 🇺🇸
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Cute, but a big hazard if a vehicle has to leave the road. I would move this thing off.
Or at least further away from the road. A crane could do this in less than four hours. Much cheaper than having a vehicle plow into it.
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@LanceJZ @archaeohistories They added fake thrusters to it.
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@davevolek That would likely require someone to pay for it. Given the little bits I've gleaned about local governance in the U.S. I can easily see no one having any spare budget for it.
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I suspect it has stayed on the ground for 67 years because of its novelty and notoriety more than the expense of removing it. Locals probably like talking about it--------------until one of their own plow into it.
Renting a crane for four hours and a truck to haul it away is not a big expense. Municipalities use these machines a lot.
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@LanceJZ @isaackuo @archaeohistories
That's a piece of Art, and congratulations to the locals for maintaining it.
(Actually the capsule would have had thrusters: there would be Capsule:Flotation Bag:Heat Shield:Thruster Pack, with the thruster pack held on by straps so it could be jettisoned after deceleration but before hitting atmosphere. On one mission they re-entered with the thruster pack attached because the flotation bag light had come on and they were concerned about the heat shield.)
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@davevolek That's definitely more likely but I am a little jaded by hearing about places where local government's get stuck because they need almost line item approval for stuff. The street my aunt lives on in a rural California community is an absolute wreck because they can't get enough people to vote to repave it.
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@archaeohistories Lt. Google Streetview liegt der heute noch da
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I would need more info to proffer any perspective on your California situation. But it sounds like a situation where local governance is ineffective. I can see several possible reasons for this.
Maybe another sign that American democracy is failing?
BTW, I am an inventor of a new democracy. Check out my byline if interested.
I'm pretty sure this new democracy would find a way to pave that road.
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This is about four miles from my brother's farm.
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@davevolek it's a really small town population of about 500 and it's not even in town...probably a lot of other things than that to worry about causing a car accident. Looking at the map, might be a struggle to get a crane out there cheeply.
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The photo looks like a rural highway to me. This means fairly high speeds. If a car "hits the ditch," a bumpy ride turns into a fatal accident.
I suspect the jurisdiction belongs to whoever owns the highway. It could be the state or it could be the county.
A couple of heavy tow wreckers could move this machine. Less than $5000.
But there may be political pressure to keep the machine in place. It does look cute.
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@Cadbury_Moose @isaackuo @archaeohistories there has never been a capsule with thrusters on them from Apollo on.
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@davevolek based on Google maps image I things crushed oiled gravel.
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@davevolek @Chigaze @archaeohistories Or build guard rails at that location and keep the visitor attraction and historic site intact.
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@LanceJZ @isaackuo @archaeohistories
Back then they were still in the Mercury or Gemini programmes, and the capsule *did* have thrusters.
I don't have my copy of "The Right Stuff" to hand, but the incident with the "Air Cushion Inflation" warning light and the decision to re-enter with the thruster pack attached was given to the astronaut _without_ telling them why. (So it would have been Mercury.) Continued... (1/2)
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@LanceJZ @isaackuo @archaeohistories
Mission Control were "concerned" that if the air cushion (meant to absorb the shock of landing) had inflated prematurely it would have dislodged the heat shield, and they'd have a total loss of the capsule (with extra-crispy occupant). They elected to re-enter with the thruster pack attached, and it melted with bits going past the window as the descent continued. Thankfully the warning light was due to a wiring fault. (2/last)
