From: jrfrank@ibm-pc.borg.retro.com   
      
   alexwilliamrussell@yahoo.com (Alex William Russell) wrote in   
   news:28a53b30.0401240040.630f6235@posting.google.com:   
      
   > maybe I or someone else mentioned this alrady.  how about putting a   
   > maneuvering thruster or at least its outlet (i.e., run a tube out to   
   > carry the thrust gases) at the end of a pole away from the main body,   
   > to increase effect of firing thruster on main vehicle's direction.   
   > hmmm, could shuttle or satellite deploy a thruster-on-pole to maximize   
   > effectiveness of limited amount of maneuvering propellant?  hmmm,   
   > potentially replace need to swivel rockets on launch/climb with this   
   > ???   
      
   There are advantages to this, and some spacecraft have done so. On STS-99,   
   the shuttle carried a radar on a long telescoping boom (SRTM), and it had   
   its own thruster package. On Mir, cosmonauts installed a roll thruster   
   package on a long folding boom to improve Mir's roll control authority.   
      
   There are disadvantages as well: putting thrusters at the end of a boom in   
   this manner introduces a lot of flex-body dynamics into the structure, and   
   can greatly complicate the job of the attitude control system software.   
      
      
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   JRF   
      
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