Re: Endeavour Butchered

Andrew Lotosky wrote:
> With the delays for 121, NASA will probably get Endeavour back flying,
> and use all three orbiters, retire Atlantis after a few flights,
> forgoing an OMM, then close off the program with Discovery and
> Endeavour.


If the goal is to complete the station and possibly a flight to Hubble
to outfit it with a de-orbit engine, then NASA will need all shuttles it
can use, especialy when you consider the delays because of foam.

The question then becomes:

With KSC facilities and staffing levels, does having 3 orbiters allow
for greater launch rates than with just 2 orbiters ?

Once one shuttle 1 is rolled to the pad, the shuttle 2 goes from OPF to
VAB, and the shuttle 3 can then begin its turn around processing at OPF
after having landed. With 2 shuttles, there is a window where not all
facilities are used. With 3 shuttles, you fill your facilities.


Can NASA sustain high flight rates for 4 years ? I would hope that
during this stand down until March 2006, NASA would use this time to do
any maintenance to OPF , VAB and MPLs that would allow uninterupted use
between 2006 and 2010.

Also, NASA should now look at transforming at least one MPLM to have
micrometeorite protection so it can be left on station permanently.


Because of the rush betwene 2006 and 2010 to complete the station, NASA
must now use the next 6 months to make damned sure its facilities will
be ready for high flight rates.
.

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