Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!whuts!heiland
From: heiland@whuts.UUCP (HEILAND)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Soviet Shuttle
Message-ID: <4885@whuts.UUCP>
Date: 12 Oct 88 14:01:07 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 23


The other day I attended a talk by James Oberg, who works in the
Space Shuttle program in Houston, and is a recognized authority on
Soviet space technology.  After finishing up his talk on the history
of Soviet space flights, he had a few things to say about the shuttle
(plus a picture of the inside of one of their simulators).

First off, he said that the shuttle is using four liquid rockets in
addition to the Energia (sp?) booster.  There  are no jet engines on the
space shuttle; they were only on the test version.  Since there are no
main engines on the shuttle, the orbital manuevering thrusters have been
moved directly behind the vehicle.  Mr. Oberg expressed concern that if
the Soviets used our design, the different stress factors resulting from
this change (i.e. having the shuttle "pulled" up) could cause problems.
I think he also said that it appears as if the shuttle does use tiles.


Disclaimer:  The statements here are as I think I heard them, and any
             errors are strictly my fault.

David J. Heiland
AT&T Bell Labs 
Whippany, NJ                                         att!whuts!heiland