Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Shuttle Facilities ( was : Shuttle trips to the Moon )
Message-ID: <1989Feb9.020730.1899@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <40ebe2ca.298d@dl298d.engin.umich.edu> <2070003@hpcilzb.HP.COM> <2453@phred.UUCP> <7233@csli.STANFORD.EDU> <89Jan25.095342est.9381@ois.db.toronto.edu>
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 89 02:07:30 GMT

In article <89Jan25.095342est.9381@ois.db.toronto.edu> hogg@db.toronto.edu (John Hogg) writes:
>Horizontally, the same way that they assemble all their launchers.
>Among other advantages of this system, the building doesn't have to be
>so big.

Well, actually, it has to be just about as big if you've got the same
number of bays, it just doesn't have to be as high.  Horizontal assembly
does have disadvantages, too:  the erection process puts considerable
stress on the vehicle, and (as some recent minor accidents to shuttle
payloads and shuttle hardware before stacking demonstrate) there is
more risk of accidental damage because workmen end up working *above*
the hardware instead of beside it.  NASA thought about this at some
length before using vertical assembly for the Saturn V.
-- 
Allegedly heard aboard Mir: "A |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
toast to comrade Van Allen!!"  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu