Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!rutgers!usc!wuarchive!uunet!visix!amanda From: amanda@visix.com (Amanda Walker) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: another idea Message-ID: Date: 19 Oct 90 19:56:16 GMT References: <64096@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> <488@newave.UUCP> Organization: Visix Software Inc., Reston, VA Lines: 26 In article <488@newave.UUCP> john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III) writes: >How about removing our really great space station from the Smithsonian >and sending it up on anything that can lift it (one of the 3 Saturn V >bird stands or an Energia). It's a concept, but remember that it's pretty old at this point. Last year for memorial day I went on a tour of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum restoration facility (which I highly recommend to other aircraft/spacecraft geeks out there :-)). One of the point that they made very strongly was that "restored" does not imply "flyable." Checking and repairing things like hydraulics, avionics, life support, etc., might be a large effort, especially considering the advances in technology during the intervening time. An overhaul to put another Skylab and Saturn V into safe flyable shape might take as much time and money as doing a new spacecraft from scratch with modern technology... I must admit, though, that visiting Air & Space is a great way to revive your enthusiasm for the space program, and give you more incentive to do things like actually lobby congresscritters and yell at the media... -- Amanda Walker amanda@visix.com Visix Software Inc. ...!uunet!visix!amanda -- "We are holding Elvis Presley's brain hostage on Planet Zort. Surrender Now." --Bloom County