Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Two Shuttles at Once???
Message-ID: <1989Sep14.161150.25944@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <3330022@hpindda.HP.COM> <12154@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com> <355@crash.cts.com> <9981@xanth.cs.odu.edu>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 89 16:11:50 GMT

In article <9981@xanth.cs.odu.edu> paterra@cs.odu.edu (Frank C. Paterra) writes:
>I think Vandenburg was completed and the Airforce mothballed it
>immediately.  It was my understanding that the post Challenger shuttle
>configuration does not have enough sauce to launch anything from
>Vandenburg anyway.  Does anybody have any other information?  Henry?

Payload from Vandenberg was always rather less impressive than from the
Cape, given the physics of the situation, and it would probably be pretty
small today.  I don't have numbers on hand.  In any case, the point is moot.
The Vandenberg launch facility was completed except for a solution to
possible problems with hydrogen buildup in the exhaust duct (not terribly
hard problems, but they would need solving before a launch).  It is now very
thoroughly mothballed and would be quite expensive to revive.  Much of the
support equipment has dispersed to other uses, the skilled crews have done
likewise, and in general the USAF has completely lost interest.
-- 
V7 /bin/mail source: 554 lines.|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
1989 X.400 specs: 2200+ pages. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu