Re: Hypothetical shuttle rescue...

nmp <address@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in news:pan.2006.09.26.23.40.16.630227
@is.invalid:

Op Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:25:29 -0500, schreef Jorge R. Frank:

nmp <address@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in news:pan.2006.09.26.23.04.47.90927
@is.invalid:

[..]

Somehow I find it hard to imagine that there is not a procedure, or
perhaps just a guideline, to deal with the worst case scenario.

I can assure you there is not.

OK, I accept that answer. I know better than to doubt you :)

So it is up to the crew themselves to decide what to do if they are
stranded?

Not that either. NASA will start planning at some point, but most likely
only one and probably no more than two failures ahead:

1) Shuttle damaged -> perform repair EVA, plan rescue shuttle
2) Repair fails -> launch rescue shuttle
3) Rescue shuttle damaged -> perform repair EVA
4) Repair fails

Even if NASA is thinking two failures ahead, they won't start working the
worst-case scenario until 2). And even then, I think they'll be devoting
most of their collective brain cells to coming up with alternatives to save
the crews, not kill them.

A reporter once asked Neil Armstrong what he would do if the LM ascent
stage failed and he had only an hour to live. His answer was that he'd
spend the hour trying to fix the engine.

That mentality has not changed.

--
JRF

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