Re: Space Shuttle criticizing will start once it has been retired

"Cyberiade.it Anonymous Remailer" <anonymous@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:10f2d66bc6566c6abc2325d0de2f54f2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://us.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/12/30/columbia.shuttle.disaster/index.html

NASA, when they designed the Shuttle, forgot that during the Apollo and
Gemini flights, many things went wrong. The only reason the crew survived
was because of the toughness of the capsules, their simple designs, and
their inherent safety (no active stabillization needed during reentry).


Shuttle: 121 successful flights, 2 failures

Mercury: 6 flights
MA-7 - landed off course 402km, numerous issues.
MA-9 - many issues, helped lead to cancellation of MA-10

Gemini: 10 flights
Gemini VII - thruster malfunction nearly results in loss of craft and
crew. Rest of mission aborted

Apollo: 14 flights (including Skylab and ASTP)
Apollo 1: Need I say more?
Apollo 8: ended up in Stable 2 position, making crew seasick until
righted
Apollo 13: Near loss of crew and craft in cislunar space
Apollo 15: One of three chutes failed leading to rough landing
Skylab 3; thruster leak, leads to possible launch of rescue vehicle
ASTP: Near loss of crew after landing due to intrusion of nitrogen
tetraoxide into crew cabin.


So a total of 24 flights compared to nearly 5 times that number.

So how's that track record again?


--
Greg Moore
Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC.


.

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