From: remove-uray@att.net   
      
   "BllFs6"  wrote in message   
   news:20040210092955.27200.00001960@mb-m11.aol.com...   
   > Hi all...   
   >   
   > The recent uproar over the shuttle no longer planning to service Hubble   
   since   
   > it doesnt offer a "safe haven" like the ISS does got me thinking...   
   >   
   > Does going to the ISS make a shuttle flight realistically ANY safer?   
   >   
   > First, just HOW much inspecting CAN you do....as some on the net   
   > observed....the purpose of the shuttle now appears to be to build the ISS   
   and   
   > the purpose of the ISS is a place for the shuttle to go....so now we can   
   add   
   > the reason for 2 week flights and 7 astronuats it it takes that long to   
   inspect   
   > the shuttle.....so we now have long flights to inspect the shuttle and we   
   > inspect the shuttle so we can fly it!   
   >   
   > Secondly, how safe are any repairs you've done?   
   >   
   > And most importantly.....   
   >   
   > How likely is it for the shuttle to sustain damage that simultaneously   
   >   
   > 1 allows the shuttle to make it to the ISS safely   
   >   
   > 2 but is significant enough to be detected upon inspection   
   >   
   > Seems to me ALL kinds of bad things can happen during launch and during   
   rentry   
   > that have nothing to do with be able to fix little things because you went   
   to   
   > ISS rather just wherever in orbit you needed to go instead...   
   >   
   > My WAG is that going to ISS makes a shuttle flight about 10 percent   
   safer....   
   >   
   > So....is a rocket that is now only fractionally safer change a previously   
   > downright dangerous rocket into one that is acceptably safe? seems like a   
   > pretty moronic mindset to me.....   
   >   
   > Its like a person that eats all the wrong foods, drinks and drives too   
   much,   
   > smokes like a chimney, and is way behind on thier payments to the local   
   loan   
   > shark....but decides that the've greatly increased their lifespan because   
   all   
   > of a sudden they have taken to eating healthy garden salads....   
   >   
   > IMHO if they were to fix the foam shedding problem...and do a thorough   
   > inspection of the thermal protection system for hidden damage and/or   
   > degradation...the shuttle would be as safe or safer than it ever has been   
   and   
   > about as safe as any other rocket out there...   
   >   
   > Now whether the shuttle  design makes any engineering or economic sense is   
   a   
   > whole other issue....   
      
   NASA's decision to stop the Hubble servicing mission shows just how scared   
   they are.  Servicing satellites like Hubble was one of the reasons the   
   Shuttle was built in the first place.  Of all the Shuttles planned uses,   
   only one remains, ISS construction.  The pride of the U.S.A. is now   
   relegated to being a cargo tug that has to carry a repair crew along.   
      
   What else was uncovered during the CAIB investigation that has them running   
   so scared?   
      
   uray   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)