Xref: utzoo sci.space:6952 sci.space.shuttle:1194 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!agate!ucbvax!husc6!rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!masticol From: masticol@paul.rutgers.edu (Steve Masticola) Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Possible Disaster Scenarios Message-ID: Date: 11 Sep 88 14:59:40 GMT References: <73@cybaswan.UUCP> <1988Sep10.235509.7213@utzoo.uucp> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 18 Henry Spencer := >, Steve Hosgood := >> > >[Soviets] I wonder why they jettison the docking > >module before tring to fire the retro rockets to commence re-entry? Surely > >there would be time enough afterwards? ... > Probably they don't want the docking module wandering around uncontrolled > nearby during reentry. Also, the less mass is on board at retrofire time, > the smaller and lighter the retros can be. A third good reason is that if they've started re-entry and something goes wrong with jettisoning the docking module, they'd have very little time to fix the problem. Even if everything went right, they'd still cost themselves time when they had very little to spare. Jettisoning the docking module simplifies things all around. I'd hope they don't throw it so far away that they can't get back to it if something goes wrong with re-entry... - Steve (masticol@paul.rutgers.edu)