Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdahl!nsc!glennw
From: glennw@nsc.nsc.com (Glenn Weinberg)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: SRB shipping
Summary: Trains are not the only means of long-distance shipping
Keywords: trains, barges, SRBs
Message-ID: <7033@nsc.nsc.com>
Date: 14 Oct 88 22:16:22 GMT
References: <6689@nsc.nsc.com> <1543@hp-sdd.HP.COM> <5485@ecsvax.uncecs.edu> <1621@nunki.usc.edu> <2818@sugar.uu.net>
Reply-To: glennw@nsc.nsc.com.UUCP (Glenn Weinberg)
Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale
Lines: 24

You know, trains are not the only way to ship things long distances.
Barges would be more than large enough to hold an entire SRB, and you
don't have to worry about tight corners, bridges or trees!

Sure, you can't build your SRB plant in the middle of the desert or high
in the Rockies, but you aren't limited to coastal sites either.  Virtually
anywhere along the Mississippi or Ohio (maybe even the Tennessee now, I
guess), or even along most of the shores of the Great Lakes would do just
fine.  What's wrong with a little pork barrel for the Rust Belt for a
change, anyway? :-)

Protection from salt spray during the final part of the trip (or the whole
trip if your plant was on the coast) would certainly be important, but
that isn't that hard.  Besides, if the casings can stand actually being IN
salt water like they are following a launch, they can't be too susceptible
to damage.  Anyway, the area of greatest potential damage would be the
joints, and in a one-piece design there aren't any!

So, I just wanted to point out that unless you absolutely must locate
your SRB plant in Utah (:-), you don't have as severe a restriction
from shipping limitations as you might think.
-- 
Glenn Weinberg					Email: glennw@nsc.nsc.com
National Semiconductor Corporation		Phone: (408) 721-8102
(My opinions are strictly my own, but you can borrow them if you want.)