22.1.2 The Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid comprises a 230.3 m (each side) square base with four triangular
sides, covering an area of 5.3 hectares. The Great Pyramid had, originally, a height of
147.8 m. (Imagine a 50-storey building). The ground under the Great Pyramid is
perfectly level, with a variance of less than 12 mm over the 5.3 hectares, which is
quite an amazing exploit for the ancient surveyors and is certainly difficult, if not
almost impossible to achieve, even with today’s modern and advanced technology.
Approximately 2.5 million blocks were needed, each weighing between 2 tons and
more 70 tons, roughly cubic blocks having between 0.9 and 3 m sides. The blocks,
from the bottom to the tip of the pyramid come from the same quarry site and the
same time period. The stones are cut or polished to such precision that even a credit
card cannot be inserted between them. Quite an achievement!
It is believed that the workforce for building a pyramid ranged from 20 to 40,000
over a span of 20 years (around 4500 B.C). How many people were needed to gather
and prepare food for all of them? Where did they live?
22.1.3 The Space Race
In the late 1950s, the United States and the Soviet Union became involved in a fierce
competition – the control of outer space – for over a decade. This space race started
in 1957 when the Soviet Union sent the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, circling
around the Earth. Both countries were eager to win – to demonstrate their scientific
abilities and to display their military superiority.
The US President Kennedy had quite clear goals about the vision of sending
astronauts to the moon. He said, in 1961: “No single space project in this period will
be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of
space. And none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.” In the same year,
he requested the Congress to approve more than twenty two billion dollars for
‘Project Apollo’, which had the objective of landing an American astronaut on the
moon prior to the end of the decade (1970). The Apollo 11 mission landed the first
man on the moon on 21
st July 1969.
22.1.4 Resources
Basically, the lessons to be drawn from the above examples are that a project:
(1) needs funds (gold, or otherwise)
(2) requires human resources, sometimes running into thousands
(3) takes time before completion, but, most often has an imposed deadline.
22.1 Examples of Project Implementation
623
The Great Pyramid comprises a 230.3 m (each side) square base with four triangular
sides, covering an area of 5.3 hectares. The Great Pyramid had, originally, a height of
147.8 m. (Imagine a 50-storey building). The ground under the Great Pyramid is
perfectly level, with a variance of less than 12 mm over the 5.3 hectares, which is
quite an amazing exploit for the ancient surveyors and is certainly difficult, if not
almost impossible to achieve, even with today’s modern and advanced technology.
Approximately 2.5 million blocks were needed, each weighing between 2 tons and
more 70 tons, roughly cubic blocks having between 0.9 and 3 m sides. The blocks,
from the bottom to the tip of the pyramid come from the same quarry site and the
same time period. The stones are cut or polished to such precision that even a credit
card cannot be inserted between them. Quite an achievement!
It is believed that the workforce for building a pyramid ranged from 20 to 40,000
over a span of 20 years (around 4500 B.C). How many people were needed to gather
and prepare food for all of them? Where did they live?
22.1.3 The Space Race
In the late 1950s, the United States and the Soviet Union became involved in a fierce
competition – the control of outer space – for over a decade. This space race started
in 1957 when the Soviet Union sent the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, circling
around the Earth. Both countries were eager to win – to demonstrate their scientific
abilities and to display their military superiority.
The US President Kennedy had quite clear goals about the vision of sending
astronauts to the moon. He said, in 1961: “No single space project in this period will
be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of
space. And none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.” In the same year,
he requested the Congress to approve more than twenty two billion dollars for
‘Project Apollo’, which had the objective of landing an American astronaut on the
moon prior to the end of the decade (1970). The Apollo 11 mission landed the first
man on the moon on 21
st July 1969.
22.1.4 Resources
Basically, the lessons to be drawn from the above examples are that a project:
(1) needs funds (gold, or otherwise)
(2) requires human resources, sometimes running into thousands
(3) takes time before completion, but, most often has an imposed deadline.
22.1 Examples of Project Implementation
623