Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Atlantis and the DoD
Message-ID: <1990Nov13.040534.10476@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <16716@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 90 04:05:34 GMT

In article <16716@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) writes:
>     A quick question...why is it that the vast majority (all but one, 
>if my memory serves) of Department of Defense shuttle missions are aboard
>Atlantis? ...

There are currently only three operational orbiters.  Columbia is older
and heavier than the other two, which reduces its payload, so weight-critical
mission usually fly on Discovery or Atlantis.  I think the use of Atlantis
rather than Discovery really is coincidence.  There was once talk of "blue
shuttles", with some of the orbiters dedicated to military missions, but
that never materialized.
-- 
"I don't *want* to be normal!"         | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
"Not to worry."                        |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu   utzoo!henry