Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: gratuitous anthrophobia (was Re: Shuttle computer reprogramming)
Message-ID: <1988Oct8.234146.11950@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <6689@nsc.nsc.com> <6980@ihlpl.ATT.COM> <1938@kalliope.rice.edu> <2994@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV> <1344@thumper.bellcore.com>
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 88 23:41:46 GMT

In article <1344@thumper.bellcore.com> karn@thumper.bellcore.com (Phil R. Karn) writes:
>By the way, this is an excellent illustration of how excessive reliance
>on large manned missions has hindered technological development. The
>latter inherently requires risk-taking that is acceptable only when
>human lives and/or extremely large sums of money are not at stake.

Oh, nonsense.  Do you imagine that the Soviets would hesitate to fly a
slightly risky mission if it seemed worthwhile?  Phil, you do your cause
a disservice when you persist in claiming that NASA's ridiculous attitudes
are "inherently" a constraint on manned spaceflight.  Dick Rutan and Jeana
Yeager, for example, would give you a different opinion.
-- 
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