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From: john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: launch rates
Message-ID: <478@newave.UUCP>
Date: 26 Sep 90 22:12:09 GMT
References: <10195.26fde341@pbs.org> <1990Sep25.033816.16652@zoo.toronto.edu> <10208.26ff55cf@pbs.org>
Reply-To: john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III)
Organization: NeWave Communications Ltd, Eden Prairie, MN
Lines: 40

In article <10208.26ff55cf@pbs.org> pstinson@pbs.org writes:
> > In article <10195.26fde341@pbs.org> pstinson@pbs.org writes:
> > >           1967..1968..1969..1970..1971..1972..1973  TOTAL
> > > Saturn V     1     2     3     1     2     2     1     12

> So.  Add one more launch in 1969.  The average launch rate changes as a
> result only from 1.71 to 1.85 and the basic conclusion of the comnparison
> remains the same.  Shuttle is beating the pants off the old Saturn V launch
> rate.  That's a fact.

Your conclusion is incorrect.  All you can conclude is that there have
been more shuttle launches.  Have you considered adding in the Saturn 1B
numbers?  Or comparing against the Gemini program?

Kennedy refered to the Apollo program as the most difficult and dangerous
project that humans have ever attempted.  NASA refered to the space shuttle
as routine access to space.  I don't see the factor of two difference in 
launches per year as being the difference between heroric and routine.

Perhaps you should look at how each program met its design.  Saturn V
flew every mission that was scheduled to fly.  The shuttle launch rate has
only been about 10% of what NASA expected.  In this light, I consider the
shuttle a big failure.

One more angle to look at.  The Saturn V was only a piece of a space program.
It supported a very expensive moon exploration program.  The shuttle, however,
is a program all by its self.  There really is no other primary goal other
than to launch the shuttle.  Many of the missions could be flown on other
vehicles.  Had there been funding for 50 moon shots a year, I think NASA
could have scaled the Saturn V program to support this level of activity.
The shuttle, however, has all of the funding that it needs to fly more
missions, it just isn't ready or able to fly them.

-john-

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