Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Fourth Shuttle?
Message-ID: <1989Dec15.164110.20872@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <6795@shlump.nac.dec.com> <1989Dec12.022557.6690@utzoo.uucp> <1549@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 89 16:41:10 GMT

In article <1549@rodan.acs.syr.edu> razeh@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Robert A. Zeh) writes:
>Does anyone know what they are planning to do with the production line
>when they have finished the fourth orbiter? Keep it open for spare
>parts? A replacement for the next orbiter loss?  Or is NASA still in
>the "we'll never lose another orbiter" mode?

There is *talk* about building another one, likewise *talk* about keeping
the line going at a low rate to provide a supply of replacements.  The NRC
report on such matters a couple of years ago was most explicit about this
being an absolute necessity if the shuttle fleet was to be relied on for
future programs.  Trouble is, it's expensive.  Nobody has yet committed
to anything.
-- 
1755 EST, Dec 14, 1972:  human |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
exploration of space terminates| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu