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From: lmc@denelcor.UUCP (Lyle McElhaney)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: "WHADDYA MEAN WE CAN'T CIRCLE FOR A LANDING???!!"
Message-ID: <410@denelcor.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Apr-84 16:46:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: denelcor.410
Posted: Fri Apr 27 16:46:19 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 9-May-84 07:59:58 EDT
References: <160@sb6.UUCP>, <1686@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: Denelcor, Aurora, CO
Lines: 26

As someone pointed out earlier, Lee Corey's novel "Shuttle Down", besides
being a very good adventure story, contains a lot of detail (all factual,
as far as I could tell) concerning what the repercussions of a shuttle
landing at an unexpected location could be, both technical and political.

Some of the problems:
	The shuttle comes down very fast and at a high angle. The runway
	has to be long (at least 15000 ft) and strong enough to handle
	the load.

	Expected facilities include sophisticated navigation gear (only
	one try, remember?) and safing/cooling services provided as
	soon as landing is done. As it sits, its a hot tank of explosives.

	Then you have to consider how to get the beast back out. Just
	heft it up on top of this here 747, will ya?

	Lots of technical know-how is required on the spot to do the last
	two tasks.

Get a copy of Corey's book (if you can find one; somebody got mine and I
haven't seen it around lately).  Corey is a pen name for G.  Harry Stine, a
recognized guru in aerospace engineering.  You'll like it.
-- 
		Lyle McElhaney
		(hao,brl-bmd,nbires,csu-cs,scgvaxd)!denelcor!lmc