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From: REM%MIT-MC@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Astronaut requirements
Message-ID: <15152@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Jan-84 03:27:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15152
Posted: Fri Jan  6 03:27:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Jan-84 03:34:02 EST
Lines: 15

From:  Robert Elton Maas <REM @ MIT-MC>

[Why the minimum height requirement for mission specialist?]

<Totally hack answer> Well, there's a lot of heavy equipment in the
ship, and if a somthing heavy should break loose and fall on the
captain it'd be nice if the specialist could lend a hand at lifting it
off him so he wouldn't be pinned there and eventually crushed to
death. A frail little person wouldn't be strong enough. <Credit to one
of the stupidest things in Startrek, artificial gravity that can't be
turned off during combat and other emergencies.>

I agree, it's a rather silly rule, and does tend to discriminate
against women and oriental people as well as midgits and other
unusually short people. <Opinion of REM>