Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uc!cs.umn.edu!kksys!wd0gol!newave!john
From: john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Board appointed to investigate reasons for damaged shuttle thruster (Forwarded)
Message-ID: <465@newave.UUCP>
Date: 29 Jul 90 17:38:30 GMT
References: <54666@ames.arc.nasa.gov> <1101@ke4zv.UUCP>
Reply-To: john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III)
Organization: NeWave Communications Ltd, Eden Prairie, MN
Lines: 29

In article <1101@ke4zv.UUCP> gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) writes:
> In article <54666@ames.arc.nasa.gov> yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) writes:
> > BOARD  APPOINTED  TO  INVESTIGATE  REASONS  FOR  DAMAGED  SHUTTLE
> > THRUSTER

> Now this is what is really wrong at NASA, appointing a Board of Inquiry
> because somebody dropped a part and damaged it. At my job, my boss and
> I were installing a delicate and expensive part one night and dropped
> it. We both said "Damn!", went and got a spare and got on with the job.

I think it's a little bit more complicated than "Damn".  In this case, we
are talking about a billion dollar airplane/spaceship where ever part is
critical to the safty of the human crew.

Every part that is installed on the shuttle has a procedure.  If the
sequence of events when installing a part differs from the plan (ie, an
accident or otherwise), it should be investigated.  Perhaps the plan is
flawed...in which case other procedures may also be flawed.  Maybe a better
scaffold or work platform is needed.  Maybe the parts themselves are bad.
Maybe the procedure has been flawed for sometime resulting in some hidden
damage.  These types of questions need to answered.

-john-

-- 
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John A. Weeks III               (612) 942-6969               john@newave.mn.org
NeWave Communications                ...uunet!rosevax!bungia!wd0gol!newave!john
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