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From: space@ucbvax.UUCP
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Subject: Re: Visual Shuttle Monitoring
Message-ID: <8602200529.AA08199@ucbvax.berkeley.edu>
Date: Thu, 20-Feb-86 00:29:36 EST
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Posted: Thu Feb 20 00:29:36 1986
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You make a good point (about visually monitoring the launches
by an officer who can start an abort sequence).
The need for video monitoring, not just telementry,
was dramatized seconds after the disaster, when the
CapCom said "we appear to have major malfunction."
I thought that was a pretty sick parody of Federalese,
till we realized that the poor guy didn't have
a video monitor of the TV feed!

To paraphrase your question: Does ANYONE at NASA watch
(really watch) the launches?
And if so, what could they do if something was obviously
wrong.... ?
	mike k