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From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Scuttle the Shuttle?
Message-ID: <2984@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Feb-86 14:14:41 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.2984
Posted: Sat Feb  1 14:14:41 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 23:10:37 EST
References: <8601301636.AA04800@s1-b.arpa> <324@vger.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD
Lines: 19

In article <324@vger.UUCP> al@vger.UUCP writes:

>> have you noticed how many problems there have been with
>> experiments in the shuttle cargo bay?  I suspect the vibrations during
>> shuttle launch from the SRB's are damaging the payloads.  

>Launching satellites ALWAYS involves a lot of vibration.  With the shuttle,
>however, you have people on board to fix problems that come up and the
>payload can be returned to Earth for repair and reflight as well.  Try that
>on an expendable booster.

My father, who designs satellite structures, tells me that frequently the
most severe mechanical shocks to the satellite occur during the mounting of
the payload to the vehicle.  It should also be pointed out that a lot of the
failures had to do with payload engines, which is just as much of a problem
with expendables.


C. Wingate