Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!igor!rutabaga!wab
From: wab@rutabaga.Rational.COM (Bill Baker)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Shuttle computers (Really, "Drop the landin' gear, Jed!")
Message-ID: <1076@igor.Rational.COM>
Date: 2 May 91 21:29:46 GMT
References: <1991Apr26.111139.1@vf.jsc.nasa.gov> <1991Apr30.171707.27685@isc.rit.edu> <1991May1.162201.16502@zoo.toronto.edu>
Sender: news@Rational.COM
Organization: Joan Vollmer Womens Academy
Lines: 24

In article <1991May1.162201.16502@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
>In article <1991Apr30.171707.27685@isc.rit.edu> isg7243@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
>
>The reason why the landing gear are lowered only by human command, by the
>way, is that they cannot be raised again once lowered.  So they'd better
>not get lowered prematurely.

I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable, logical, and utterly
necessary reason for this, but...

Why in the *hell* can they only *lower* the landing gear?
Theoretically, I suppose, you only need to lower it in flight, but it
still seems like bonebrain engineering to me.

	* Turbopumps that fail at a hostile glance  

	* Solid boosters as safe as a $2 skyrocket

	* Landing gear that only goes in one direction


	The Shuttle:  "It's got modern, stone-age technologeeee!"
                       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                       (Sung to the Flintstones Theme)