Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!rpi!uupsi!pbs.org!pstinson From: pstinson@pbs.org Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Two Shuttles at once Message-ID: <1991Mar12.141225.12004@pbs.org> Date: 12 Mar 91 19:12:25 GMT References: <9103090210.AA04529@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov> <1991Mar11.200153.7206@b15.ingr.com> Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA Lines: 19 In article <1991Mar11.200153.7206@b15.ingr.com>, ptc@b15.ingr.com (Paul Carter) writes: > In mvk@aix01.aix.rpi.edu (Michael V. Kent) writes: > > >>Discovery (STS-51D) came down on 19 April 1985 and Challenger was launched on >>29 April 1985 on STS-51B. Columbia (STS-61C) landed on 18 January 1986 while >>Challenger (STS-51L) was launched on 28 January 1986. I can't say for sure, >>but I doubt there was a lot of parts swapping between them, and if need be >>I bet they could have launched Challenger on a rescue mission. > > Imagine the state of the Shuttle program if Challenger had been sent on > a rescue mission....Bingo...two orbiters gone. One stuck in orbit, and one > at the bottom of the Atlantic. That would have been a tough pill to swallow. > While we are speaking hypothetically, remember that if CHALLENGER had launched on the 27th, before the deep freeze, it probably would have made it into orbit. The only reason it didn't go the day before was because of a freak problem with closing the hatch. The darned tool wouldn't come off, but if it had, there would have been no bitter pill at all to swallow.