Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Path: utzoo!henry From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Atlas (was Re: For All Mankind) Message-ID: <1990Oct12.154813.12852@zoo.toronto.edu> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology References: <15953@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1096@tsdiag.ccur.com> <5633@mace.cc.purdue.edu> <1990Sep28.151756.3973@infonode.ingr.com> <1990Sep29.233359.6067@zoo.toronto.edu> <1990Oct11.204633.2565@illusion.uucp> Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 15:48:13 GMT In article <1990Oct11.204633.2565@illusion.uucp> marcus@illusion.UUCP (Marcus Hall) writes: >...an old Atlas there... >On the next day, I saw some technicians out re-pressurizing the tank (with >nitrogen I believe) and the "dent" popped back out... >...I hope that this doesn't happen too often since I would guess >that the thin aluminum will eventually tear, but this was a very good >illustration of just how thin the skin really is. Actually, it's stainless steel, not aluminum. About the thickness of a dime. With pressure inside it, it is *really tough* -- a heavy sledgehammer just bounces off. -- "...the i860 is a wonderful source | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology of thesis topics." --Preston Briggs | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry