Re: How many times did space shuttles retrieve satellites from orbit?

On 7 Oct 2005 11:16:56 -0700, "Bob Haller" <hallerb@xxxxxxx> wrote:

>Anyone who sees 6 flights per year, or no safety issues requiring stand
>downs between now and 2010 are out to lunch.

In 1993, NASA achieved seven flights utilizing three Orbiters.
In 1996, NASA achieved seven flights utilizing three Orbiters.
Ih 1998, NASA achieved eight flights utilizing three Orbiters.

Even allowing for glitches and standdowns, six should not be serious
challenge in 2008-2010, assuming night-launch capability returns.

>they will be lucky to average 4 per year, and more safety troubles are
>lurking everywhere.

They always have been and always will.

>did you know that although they inspect a lot of wiring, many miles are
>never looked at because it cant be reached without deconstructing the
>vehicle.......

But the CAIB didn't seem unduly worried about this unless NASA
intended to fly the Shuttle beyond 2010. Besides, how do you lump
Discovery (1984), Atlantis (1985), and Endeavour (1992) into one
category? I see no reason to ground Endeavour just because Discovery
has aged beyond the point of safe flight, however that is determined.

>one day a short will occur in a critical spot / time most likely
>grounding the program permanetely.

Possible, of course. Probable? No, not in the remaining number of
flights and with most ground crew and vendor support remaining in
service for post-Shuttle work. If NASA had chosen a completely
non-Shuttle derived architecture for Constellation, then I might be
inclined to agree with you. But this is one of the reasons they
didn't.

>the closer we get to 2010 the more likely this will be, who would want
>to spend 3 billion fixing somewthing in 2008 that would take 2 years to
>implement?

What, exactly would that be? Not even the entire STS-107 recovery cost
that much, and that's pushing the post 51L RTF costs, which involved
massive redesigns throughout the vehicle.

>by the time the fix is complete the program will be grounded forever....

Possible, yes. But the odds are against it. What I do agree with is
that if we start to close in on Fiscal Year 2007 and still haven't
flown another Shuttle mission, the chances of program cancellation
will be extremely high. I think they are moderately high already and
NASA desperately needs to show progress on the 114 foam problems t
stave them off.

Brian
.

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