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From: desj@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins)
Newsgroups: net.columbia,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Escape tower for shuttle orbiter?
Message-ID: <12665@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Tue, 25-Mar-86 21:33:06 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.12665
Posted: Tue Mar 25 21:33:06 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Mar-86 01:25:15 EST
References: <9696@ucla-cs.ARPA> <588@qantel.UUCP> <2593@genat.UUCP> <12610@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <11035@amdcad.UUCP>
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Reply-To: desj@brahms.UUCP (David desJardins)
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Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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Keywords: life vs. megabucks
Xref: watmath net.columbia:2707 net.philosophy:4680

In article <11035@amdcad.UUCP> mike@amdcad.UUCP (Mike Parker) writes:
>
>>   I have not touched on this kind of a trade-off, because I don't see any
>>real situation where we would have to make a choice between saving the
>>shuttle orbiter *or* the crew.  But, *if* this choice were necessary, it
>>seems clear to save the orbiter.
>>                                     -- David desJardins
>
>I had sworn off posting the the net, but this just *has* to be responded 
>to. Did you intend to put a smiley after this comment, please tell me
>you did.
>... Can you imagine telling their husbands and wives that you really
>wanted to save them, but it would have destroyed your expensive toy?
>... Please tell me you didn't mean it.

   Yes, I mean it.  I have no reservations at all.  If it was my finger
on the button I would push it with no hesitation.
   And yes, I would tell them that the orbiter was more important than
the astronaut's lives.  I think most of them would agree.  Maybe that is
too optimistic of me, but certainly I think the astronauts themselves
would agree.

   -- David desJardins