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From: rupp@noscvax.UUCP (William L. Rupp)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: All our eggs in one basket
Message-ID: <273@noscvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Mar-86 12:24:16 EST
Article-I.D.: noscvax.273
Posted: Tue Mar 18 12:24:16 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Mar-86 04:49:19 EST
References: <1733@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Lines: 14
Summary: Still more eggs

In article <1733@decwrl.DEC.COM>, fisher@star.DEC (Burns Fisher ZKO1-1/D42 DTN 381-1466) writes:
> 
> In fact if the wrong 747 crashes, the shuttle program is in nearly as bad
> trouble as if a shuttle is lost. There is only one (1) 747 shuttle transport
> aircraft.  Without that, no landings at Edwards (and future KSC landings
> are in questions now too, you will recall).
> 

A VERY good point!  Still, your qualification "nearly as bad" should be
"NOT nearly as bad", since in that case the other shuttles could fly, although
with restrictions.  And it would be easier to convert an existing 747 while
the remaining shuttles flew, than what we are faced with now.  A good point
nevertheless.  I wonder if NASA has contingency plans.  Maybe the special
parts necessary for converting a 747 have been stockpiled.