Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: space news from Aug 15 AW&ST
Message-ID: <1988Sep15.182332.16076@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <1988Sep12.032459.25617@utzoo.uucp> <972@netxcom.UUCP> <776@etive.ed.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 88 18:23:32 GMT

In article <776@etive.ed.ac.uk> bob@etive.ed.ac.uk (Bob Gray) writes:
>and this time NASA, if the Shuttle-C is goint to be mostly
>expendable, build the space station resource nodes onto the
>external tank and deliver the whole thing to orbit.

Unfortunately, if you do things NASA's way, it is almost as expensive to
use an external tank as it is to launch modules in the cargo bay.  There
are some non-trivial problems, like the fact that the ET's insulation will
outgas in vacuum.  These things can be solved, but it's not quite as easy
as it looks.  And of course, NASA doesn't really want to solve them, since
it would take money away from politically-powerful contractors.

>Maybe ESA could buy an external tank for this purpose.

At the moment, I believe sales of ETs are restricted to US buyers.
-- 
NASA is into artificial        |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
stupidity.  - Jerry Pournelle  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu