Xref: utzoo sci.space:4475 sci.space.shuttle:506 Path: utzoo!linus!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!oliveb!pyramid!voder!tolerant!sci!auspyr!aussjo!ausmelb!mulga!munnari!otc!metro!ipso!stcns3!dave From: dave@stcns3.stc.oz (Dave Horsfall) Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle Subject: Shuttle-launched satellites considered unreliable? Message-ID: <217@stcns3.stc.oz> Date: 28 Jan 88 00:28:39 GMT Reply-To: dave@stcns3.stc.oz (Dave Horsfall) Organization: STC Pty Ltd, North Sydney, AUSTRALIA Lines: 18 An article in "Electronics Australia" Jan 88 talks about Aussat 3, and starts off with saying that Aussat 3 was launched by Arianespace, as distinct from the previous two which were shuttle-launched. Then follows this statement: "The choice of Arianespace followed the consideration of various economic factors, including the longer life expectancy of a rocket-launched satellite compared with that of a shuttle-deployed satellite." Forgive me if this has been hashed over before, but that statement does sound a little odd. Are shuttle-deployed satellites really less reliable than rocket-launched ones? How come? -- Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU) ACS: dave@stcns3.stc.OZ.AU STC Pty Ltd ARPA: dave%stcns3.stc.OZ.AU@uunet.UU.NET 11th Floor, 5 Blue St UUCP: {enea,hplabs,mcvax,uunet,ukc}!\ North Sydney NSW 2060 AUSTRALIA munnari!stcns3.stc.OZ.AU!dave