Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: What's Wrong with this Picture?
Message-ID: <1988Oct2.021158.15076@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <6981@ihlpl.ATT.COM>
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 88 02:11:58 GMT

In article <6981@ihlpl.ATT.COM> knudsen@ihlpl.ATT.COM (Knudsen) writes:
>Well, you can guess that the caption said "First released
>photo of the new Soviet shuttle."  It's nice to know Xerox
>sells to the Soviets, or was it Sharp?  No, Toshiba of course!

[From context, the above *may* not have been serious... but it's worth
reminding new readers that jokes should *always* be marked with smiley
faces ":-)", because tone of voice is not conveyed well by this medium
and misunderstandings are easy.]

People who claim the Soviets stole the design of their shuttle from the
US are (a) underestimating the Soviets, (b) underestimating the degree
to which good design is dictated by the laws of nature, and (c) ignoring
the ways in which their design is better.

>I knew there shuttle was similar to ours, but not only is
>the orbiter the same shape, but even the color scheme is the same,
>with black leading edges and all!

This is hardly a surprise.  The black stuff on the leading edges of the
US shuttle is not paint, it is the carbon-carbon high-temperature tiles.
If the Soviets are using similar thermal protection, their leading edges
will look black too.

Also, don't overlook the fact that the Soviets have a bit of an inferiority
complex, and might choose trivia like the paint scheme to resemble the US
one deliberately:  "see, we can build one like that too".

>... have I read on this newsgroup
>that their boosters are liquid fueled?  The caption referred
>to them as Energias.

The things that look like SRBs and the thing that looks like an external
tank are, together, the Energia heavy-lift launcher.  The SRB lookalikes
are strap-on liquid-fuel boosters.  The ET lookalike is not just a tank,
it is a complete rocket stage.  The combination is the heaviest launcher
now operational in the world, in the same class as the defunct Saturn V.
The Soviet shuttle orbiter is just an unusually-shaped payload for Energia;
the orbiter has no major engines of its own.

>Do they use tiles?

Quite possibly.  I don't think anyone is sure.

>I know they throw titanium around like
>plastic (whole submarines with titanium hulls).

Rockets have always made a lot of use of exotic alloys, so it wouldn't
be surprising to find titanium in Energia.  For that matter, given that
the USSR is a major world supplier of titanium, it wouldn't be a great
surprise if there is Soviet titanium in the US shuttles.
-- 
The meek can have the Earth;    |    Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
the rest of us have other plans.|uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu