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IN THIS ISSUE
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* Octave Chanute

* The Difficult Life of Claudius X

* The "Snowstorm" Space Shuttle

* Historical Quote

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Octave Chanute [By Thomas R. Long, Jr.]
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During their quest for powered flight in the early 20th century, Wilbur and Orville Wright developed an important relationship with Octave Chanute, another scientist who was also in the hunt for powered flight. Chanute, born in Paris, France, and raised in America, spent most of his career working as an engineer, including the building of the first railroad bridge to span the Missouri River. His keen interest in flying caused him to give up the occupation of railroad building and concentrate on the “problem” of powered flight.

In their pursuit of powered flight, the Wright brothers read many of Chanute’s papers, including his book "Progress in Flying Machines". In 1899, the Wrights struck up a correspondence with Chanute, and a long, yet sometimes estranged, relationship developed. Chanute visited the Wrights at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, several times, taking many of the photographs of the Wrights flying the first powered aircraft. Wilbur went to Chicago on numerous occasions at Chanute’s invitation, presenting papers on flight to the scientific community.

After proving they could build and fly an airplane, the Wrights set about trying to sell their invention. The brothers and Chanute had a falling out over what the airplane was worth, Chanute believing the Wrights were asking too much. Chanute died in 1910 before reconciliation could be accomplished.

Progress in Flying Machines may be read online at http://invention.psychology.msstate.edu/i/Chanute/library/Prog_Contents.html

Other recommended reading:
"Wilbur and Orville: A Biography of the Wright Brothers" by Fred Howard
The papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, including the Chanute-Wright letters and other papers of Octave Chanute

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THE DIFFICULT LIFE OF CLAUDIUS X [By Preston Chesser ]
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The reign of Claudius X began ignominiously. After the assassination of his demented nephew, Caligula, Claudius spent most the day hiding and cowering in fear behind a balcony curtain. The Roman Senate tried to take advantage of the confusion of the emperor's sudden death by attempting to seize power themselves. However the praetorian guard whose own power and position came from answering only to the emperor sought to thwart the senate. A soldier seeing a pair of feet sticking out from under a curtain reached back and snatched the man forward intending to ask what the man was doing there. The terror stricken Claudius fell at the soldier's feet only to be hailed as emperor.

Claudius had a difficult life. He was born with a physical disability that caused his family to consider him an embarrassment. His own mother called him a "monster of a man" and attempted to keep him out of public. His disability caused his movements to be jerky, his speech to be impaired and also caused him to dribble (which some referred to at the time as "foaming at the mouth"). It is now believed that he suffered from cerebral palsy. His family took no note of the fact that his mental faculties were unimpaired. In fact he was given little notice whatsoever until Caligula made him a senator and a consul.

Despite his severe health problems it was Claudius's difficulties with his wives that did him in. His first attempt at marriage was called off after his family and the family of his betrothed had a falling out. His next fiance dropped dead the day of their wedding. He finally did marry Plautia Urgulanilla but was forced to divorce her "on the grounds of adultery and suspicion of murder". He then married Aelia Paetina but divorced her after their first daughter was born so he could marry Valeria Messalina to advance his political standing. She was only 18, Claudius was 50.

Messalina turned out to be notoriously unfaithful to Claudius. Her affairs went too far however when she actually married one of her lovers. This audacious act was seen not only as an outrageously poor behavior but as a possible setup for a political coup. Consequently, Claudius had her and her lover executed.

Claudius then swore he would never marry again. He should have kept his oath. Instead he married Caligula's younger sister, Agrippina. She was a scheming woman who convinced Claudius to adopt her son Lucius from a previous marriage. Once adopted Lucius's name was changed to Nero and he soon managed to supersede Claudius's own son, Britannicus as heir apparent. After Nero's succession rights were further strengthened by marriage to Claudius's daughter, Octavia, Agrippina decided to murder her husband. She enlisted the aid of several palace servants, including the poison expert, the food taster and even his physician. Between the four of them they managed to poison the already ill Claudius at least twice before he finally succumbed. Agrippina's treachery was repaid in the end when the megalomaniacal son she put in power later had her murdered.

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THE "SNOWSTORM" SPACE SHUTTLE
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On November 15, 1988 the Soviet Union launched Buran, its version of the space shuttle, on its first and only orbital flight. The Buran (which means Snowstorm) flew pilotless and orbited Earth twice before landing at its special landing strip at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

If one looks quickly at the Buran one would be hard pressed to distinguish it from a space shuttle in the U.S. fleet. Both shuttles have similar dimensions and layout. Both have a payload section and a two-level crew area. Both are reusable. The real differences between the shuttles are the launch vehicles. The Buran is launched by the Energiia launch vehicle, a multi-stage rocket that can place a 100-ton payload into low-Earth orbit. The Energiia carries the Buran and then releases it just before orbital altitude. Energiia is 202 feet tall and generates 6.6 million pounds of thrust via its first stage engines. The U.S. space shuttle is a combined system that includes the shuttle (referred to as the orbiter), a large external tank which is used only once, and two reusable solid rocket boosters. The boosters along with the orbiter's main engines are used during launch. the U.S. space shuttle is 184 feet tall and generates 3.3 million pounds of thrust.

Even though Soviet Union planned on making up to 30 launches per year and to employ 30,000 people, the Buran program was scrapped four years after its maiden orbital flight. A victim of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Will the Buran be reborn? As recently as last summer several news agencies reported that the Russians are planning on returning the Buran to service. Two key impetuses is the success of the Russian Proton launch vehicle and the ability of the Buran to carry higher payloads than other space vehicles. This is becoming more of an issue as the needs of the International Space Station continue to grow. Perhaps the Snowstorm will re-join the U.S. space shuttle in Earth orbit within a few years.

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HISTORICAL QUOTE
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"The history of the world is the world’s court of justice."
Friedrich Von Schiller (1759 – 1805), German dramatist, poet, historian

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Thanks to this weeks contributor(s):
Preston Chesser
Thomas Long, Jr.

Larry Gormley, Editor
historyexplorer@ehistory.com

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