Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site kpno.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!kpno!grandi
From: grandi@kpno.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Death of IRAS
Message-ID: <266@kpno.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 13-Nov-83 19:58:59 EST
Article-I.D.: kpno.266
Posted: Sun Nov 13 19:58:59 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Nov-83 00:48:00 EST
References: <429@ihuxb.UUCP> <1069@ucf-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Kitt Peak Natl. Obs.  Tucson, AZ
Lines: 8

Unfortunately, IRAS is in a near polar
orbit (actually a sun synchronous orbit) and was launched from
Vandenbergh Air Force Base, not Cape Canaveral.  Therefore, until
Shuttle launches from Vandnbergh start to happen (at least several
years), IRAS could not be reached.  In any case, I'm sure that IRAS
would be very difficult to reach in orbit; probably won't fit in the
shuttle bay; and the expense of such a mission would no dobut be better
spent on engineering the successor missions.