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From: clj@ksr.com (Chris Jones)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Fuel-line door questions...
Message-ID: <2433@ksr.com>
Date: 4 Mar 91 12:55:22 GMT
References: <1991Feb25.204556.16156@athena.mit.edu> <1991Feb26.112746.11838@pbs.org> <1991Feb26.230611.4715@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov> <675@newave.UUCP> <62941@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
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Reply-To: clj@ksr.com (Chris Jones)
Organization: Kendall Square Research Corp
Lines: 28
In-reply-to: v071pzp4@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Craig L Cole)

In article <62941@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, v071pzp4@ubvmsd (Craig L Cole) writes:
>In article <675@newave.UUCP>, john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III) writes...
>>If you know about it in advance, i.e. in orbit before re-entry, this
>>problem should not be fatal.  All they would have to do is send up
>>Columbia or Atlantis to pick up the crew of Discovery.  You might also
>>have to send up a Progress resupply ship (or two) for the crew while they
>>wait for the next shuttle to be mission ready  8-(
>
>Could the shuttle rendevous with Mir instead? Just park outside and
>MMU (or float) over to Mir for a visit? Or would it depend on the
>inclination the shuttle was launched?
>

This whole thread is a (bad) joke, right?  ALL they would have to do is to
launch another shuttle?  It strains credulity to believe NASA could ready and
launch a shuttle in time to rescue another shuttle in distress.  And, shuttle
orbits are chosen with mission requirements in mind, not to accommodate some
hypothetical resupply from Progress or rendezvous with Mir.  Yes, the differing
inclinations would be a major factor working against a rendezvous.  Leaving
aside that (and other orbital mechanics considerations), the shuttle hasn't yet
ever had a docking system installed.  When it does, it won't be compatible with
the Soviet system.  Progress would have nothing useful to do even if it and the
shuttle were in the same orbit.  Also, since only two EVA suits are carried on
a shuttle mission, any crew transfer to Mir would involve the the untested
rescue balls.  It certainly seems simpler to just get the damn doors closed.

--
Chris Jones    clj@ksr.com    {world,uunet,harvard}!ksr!clj