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From: Cargo@HI-MULTICS.ARPA ("David S. Cargo")
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Columbia Replacement
Message-ID: <860129202758.780479@HI-MULTICS.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 15:27:00 EST
Article-I.D.: HI-MULTI.860129202758.780479
Posted: Wed Jan 29 15:27:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 03:05:55 EST
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Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Given that the shuttle program will continue, how will the program deal
with a decline in their orbiter inventory?  I can see three
possibilities.
 (1) NASA will not replace the Columbia, and will simply fly fewer
missions with the remaining shuttles.
 (2) NASA will have Rockwell build another shuttle.  This will take some
time (and a lot of money), but would restore the 4th shuttle.  (Some
have said that there are already a substantial number of spare parts, so
that everything wouldn't have to be done from scratch.)
 (3) NASA will have Rockwell refit the Enterprise to make it fully
operational.  Nobody has mentioned this one.  Is it even possible?  I
don't know how far the Enterprise is from being an operational orbiter,
instead of a boiler plate shuttle replica.  Anybody have any ideas?