Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!skipper!shafer From: shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer (OFV)) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Will we lose another orbiter Message-ID: Date: 9 Apr 90 16:55:56 GMT References: <1990Apr6.024844.16083@utzoo.uucp> <2836@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <1990Apr8.050005.23425@utzoo.uucp> <450@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> Sender: shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal. Lines: 27 In-reply-to: skywalker@dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu's message of 9 Apr 90 13:29:05 GMT In article <450@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> skywalker@dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu (Timothy B. Reynolds) writes: On reading the posting on landing gear deployment I ask "what if the gear does not come down ?" Can the crew survive a belly landing, can the vehicle survive such a landing... It's highly probable that the crew will survive and that the vehicle will survive with only minor damage. Airliners land gear-up fairly often, are repaired, and fly again quite nicely, for example, and the Shuttle is much sturdier than an airliner. They'll have to replace a _lot_ of tiles, though. The possibility of a gear-up landing of the Shuttle has been considered; air bags (for raising it and manually extending the gear for towing) are in place here. Incidentally, having _no_ gear deploy is safer than having _some_ gear deploy. You're much less likely to roll it, for example. I've always thought that a landing accident is somewhat likely, BTW, but I think it likely that the vehicle won't be destroyed, just damaged. The crew is very likely to survive, probably uninjured. -- Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA Of course I don't speak for NASA