Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!gatech!ut-sally!mordor!lll-crg!well!farren
From: farren@well.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Scuttle the Shuttle?
Message-ID: <599@well.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Feb-86 04:10:25 EST
Article-I.D.: well.599
Posted: Tue Feb  4 04:10:25 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Feb-86 20:37:35 EST
References: <8601301636.AA04800@s1-b.arpa>
Organization: Whole Earth Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 20

I will respond to just one of Paul Dietz' comments, although I disagree
with all of them:

> Repair and maintenance of spacecraft in earth orbit, mining the moon,
> exploration of the planets, manufacturing in low earth orbit are all
> better done by robots and remotely controlled manipulators, simply
> because they don't breath or eat, don't die of radiation from solar
> flares, and can be launched by supposedly less reliable expendable
> boosters, can be controlled from the ground 24 hours a day and can be
> left in space for years.

   It's my understanding from my experience in assisting in the design and 
fabrication of the ACE electronics package in the Galileo spacecraft that
modern microelectronics are MUCH more likely to "die of radiation" than are
human beings.

-- 
           Mike Farren
           uucp: {your favorite backbone site}!hplabs!well!farren
           Fido: Sci-Fido, Fidonode 125/84, (415)655-0667