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From: roberts@CMR.NCSL.NIST.GOV (John Roberts)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Computer Controlled Landing
Message-ID: <9103201921.AA17284@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov>
Date: 20 Mar 91 19:21:52 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology
	formerly National Bureau of Standards
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>From: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen)
>Subject: Re: Computer Controlled Landing?
>Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

>In article <> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
>>In theory, I think the only thing the computer can't do is lower the
>>landing gear. ...  In practice, I believe
>>it is still the case that all landings to date have been manual.

>Part of the arguable difference is the EXACT terminology being refered to.
>When NASA & Henry say that every landing has been manual so far, they really
>mean that the pilot controlled the stick and put the gear on the ground.
>What is being left out, is that the pilot only took control away from the
>computer a very short time before this event.  If my memory serves, the first
>flights, used the computer to fly the shuttle down to about 100 feet.

That's the impression I had. So getting dumped in the ocean would be pretty
difficult. (Anyone know the distance from the KSC runway to the ocean?)

I *think* that maneuvering in extremely thin atmosphere (where control
surfaces don't work, so rocket thrusts must be used) is considered
sufficiently tricky and time-critical that the computer can generally do
a better job than the pilot. (Anyone know whether the Shuttle is unstable
under those conditions?) Close to the ground, the years of pilot experience
and direct feedback allow the pilot to do a better job.

>Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University
> InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu  amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu
> Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE 

    John Roberts
    roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov