2006-07-11 04:25:57 · 16 answers · asked by surjit1754 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Gungho is about on the nose as you can get. Since there are no time zones in space, everything is in mission time. Launch plus whatever time. Consequently, up to the launch, time is negative.
2006-07-11 09:56:55 · answer #1 · answered by orion_1812@yahoo.com 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Countdowns actually started a long time ago in a German sci-fi film. I don't remember the year or the title but it could have been the '30's. The director had the scientist do a count down from 10 to 0 to add dramatic emphasis to the scene. The countdown has been used ever since.
2006-07-11 06:17:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a number of things that occur during the launch procedure which are timed and ordered based on their importance in being cleared before launch. For a launch to take place every one of these must occur and the countdown to 0 provides a logical working point. Once 0 is hit the clock of mission time runs linear because every event goind forward is timed as well.
2006-07-11 04:30:07 · answer #3 · answered by Keith 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A countdown has a well defined point at which launch occurs, zero. Everyone understand this, and takes actions at ceratin points before reaching zero. If it were a count, the ending of the count might not be understood by everyone.
2006-07-11 04:40:21 · answer #4 · answered by _Bogie_ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they would be counting up who would know when to launch ?? 10 ...100....67236482943 ...???
With a countdown there is a definite point where it ends and that's zero!
2006-07-11 04:30:05 · answer #5 · answered by DodgyDave 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just don't understand the question. A countdown is a count.
2006-07-11 04:27:02 · answer #6 · answered by Justsyd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Really it does count up. The mission clock is zero at liftoff and counts up as the mission continues. So before liftoff, the time is negative. It counts up to zero (when the rocket lifts off), and then keeps counting up to clock the mission itself. That's why it's "T-minus 10" when there are 10 seconds left before liftoff. It means the time is negative 10.
2006-07-11 04:48:08 · answer #7 · answered by gunghoiguana 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its a countdown because they count down to 0 or "lift off". they do not count up as that might cause confusion (" is it 1...2..3... or 1....2... ?!)
2006-07-11 04:29:55 · answer #8 · answered by fey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they say countdown because they are counting backwards to 1. Count implies that you are starting at 1 and counting up.
2006-07-11 04:27:29 · answer #9 · answered by allenlynn23 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
More dramatic to countdown.
2006-07-11 04:30:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋