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From: rjnoe@ihlts.UUCP (Roger Noe)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Re: RMS Attempt to be Made
Message-ID: <416@ihlts.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Apr-84 12:37:44 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlts.416
Posted: Tue Apr 10 12:37:44 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Apr-84 05:47:32 EST
References: <2692@alice.UUCP> <12@brl-vgr.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 25

I, too, was surprised that Nelson (I cannot seem to bring myself to call him
Pinky) grabbed the solar panel at Crippen's insistence.  I was watching it live
and I was thinking out loud at the time that he would impart an off-axis torque
to SMM by so doing.  This appears to be what happened.  I would think that the
trunnion pin itself would be much closer to the center of mass and would be a
better place to grab both in terms of torque and stress considerations.  But
then I wasn't up there and it's not my place to second-guess the professionals
in space and on the ground.

At first I also thought that the low fuel remarks referred to the MMU N2
propellant but later realized that it was the silly network people who were
misleading me.  (Lynn Sherr is rapidly becoming one of my least favorite
network TV personalities.)  Of *course* they can recharge the MMU's in under
half an hour, but the OMS cannot be recharged and they still need it for a
number of things before (and including) deorbit.

I'm happy about the successful grab Terry Hart made with the RMS, but if they
could slow down SMM from the beginning, why did they REALLY need the MMU's?
Of course, we can all thank ILC Space Systems for their ultra-reliable TPAD
(trunnion pin attachment device) :-) .  Actually, it not only worked perfectly
last shuttle mission, it tested out fine in the payload bay both before and
after Nelson made his unsuccessful EVA (so I've heard).  Good old Murphy!
I can't wait for the next Aviation Week & Space Technology.
--
	Roger Noe		ihnp4!ihlts!rjnoe