Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!geac!dmntor!bill
From: bill@dmntor.UUCP (Bill Kyle)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Fuel-line door questions...
Message-ID: <1991Mar7.171349.14914@dmntor.UUCP>
Date: 7 Mar 91 17:13:49 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> <2433@ksr.com>
Reply-To: bill@dmntor.UUCP (Bill Kyle)
Organization: Digital Media Networks, Toronto, Canada
Lines: 26

>>>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-(
>
>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.
>
Now now don't be harsh, yes your right about getting the doors closed however
hypothetically if NASA HAD TOO they could probably manage a rescue with another
shuttle. NASA would tempararily suspend many of its redundant safety proceeduresand other proceedures that bog down the turn around time. Large organisations
rarely are as efficient as they can be until an emergency takes-place.

Bill

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