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From: barb@oliven.UUCP (Barbara Jernigan)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: SRB's
Message-ID: <528@oliven.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Mar-86 19:48:15 EST
Article-I.D.: oliven.528
Posted: Thu Mar  6 19:48:15 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Mar-86 23:43:37 EST
References: <699@ihwpt.UUCP> <345@quest.UUCP>, <3311@hplabsb.UUCP> <6435@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 15

> ...The actual ignition
> system that ultimately gets things going is multiply redundant.
> 				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology

As was proven by the mission (a year or two ago) that aborted at, what was it,
three seconds to launch?  One would think, getting up at 5 or so in the a.m.
I would have been disappointed -- but I cheered.  The "failsafes" *worked*!
(But then, I'm in QA, and I appreciate programs that abort gracefully.)

The recent disaster is a festering wound in the shuttle's reputation -- but
let's not forget all the successes (and admirable they are, indeed)!

Are we would-be space explorers or blowflies?

Barb