Re: shuttle flies as is with suspect ramps

Nomen Nescio wrote:
Bob, you and I have bought many, many consumer products that we hoped would
be perfect in form and function, but later disappointed with their
deficiencies.

Yeah, but when my DVD player doesn't come out of standby and I have to
turn it off and on again with the power switch to restart it, that
doesn't kill seven people.

The Shuttle is no different. It was flawed from the day it
was laid down on the drawing board, but we're stuck with it

Why? What does the shuttle do that we actually need?

Ah, it's a billion dollar pizza wagon that supports ISS. Now what does
ISS do? Ah, it gives us a justification for keeping the shuttle flying.

How many people outside the aerospace industry would even notice if the
remaining shuttles were shipped to a museum and ISS was allowed to burn
up over the Pacific?

Mark

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Bush cancels Hubble telescope rescue mission
    ... The point is that Hubble will continue to get used if repaired. ... you tell me why ISS is more important than Hubble? ... The closest thing is a shuttle. ... :>: Where did the money the Hubble repair mission was going to ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Bush cancels Hubble telescope rescue mission
    ... >But none compete with Hubble. ... Where did the money the Hubble repair mission was going to ... >To ISS, as I understand it. ... the new general purpose Shuttle bucket. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Shuttle launch delayed until July
    ... It might even be the end of NASA itself, as Bush would really like to give "space exploration" over to the hands of the military anyway, rather than that pansy-ass organization that is trying to put up satellites to monitor the Earth's ecology rather than seizing the military high ground of space (did you read that Space Command "High Frontier Journal" BTW?: ... I can see why the astronauts like the idea of staying on the ISS until they can be rescued. ... the astronauts stated their concerns regarding trusting an in-flight repair during reentry rather than seeking refuge on the ISS until a rescue Shuttle could arrive. ... Contact NASA and tell them that you were all ready to get up in the morning and fly the repaired Shuttle back home...but aliens stole it in the night, and now you are stuck on the ISS and your only hope is that somebody sends up a rescue Shuttle to get you. ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: What else could you do with the Stick?
    ... >>I fail to see the relevence to launch costs and ISS life support. ... based on a few launches of a brand new rocket. ... > (88 Shuttle flights, each with 2 SRBs since Challenger.) ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Hubble Marching orders
    ... One reason for this is that the space station was ... It's Dead, Greg. ... ISS and just shut down the program and Shuttle now? ...
    (sci.space.policy)