Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!wuarchive!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ames!skipper!shafer From: shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer (OFV)) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Hawaii as a launching site Message-ID: Date: 21 Dec 89 17:29:42 GMT References: Sender: shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal. Lines: 24 In-reply-to: IA80024@MAINE.BITNET's message of 19 Dec 89 01:05:52 GMT In article IA80024@MAINE.BITNET (Nicholas C. Hester) writes: >After reading the responses to my query on shuttle landings at KSC and the >use of Vandenburg for future launches, I was wondering about the possibility >of using Hawaii. I had heard that it was up for consideration regarding the >launching of commercial vehicles and was wondering what the chance was of >building a new shuttle launch facility there. It has ocean to protect against >a debri from another Challenger type accident as well as nice weather. >Comments? There's no way to get the Shuttle to Hawaii safely and uncorroded. It would have to be deck cargo on a ship and would be damaged before it ever arrived, since Hawaii is beyond 747 range. I suppose you could land there from orbit, but I'm not sure the weather is enough better than Florida to make this viable. The times I've been in Hawaii, there's been a lot of rain and you can't land the Shuttle in rain. -- Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov or ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA Of course I don't speak for NASA