From: henry@spsystems.net   
      
   In article <20040217220408.25730.00001105@mb-m04.aol.com>,   
   Allen Meece  wrote:   
   >     Maybe a longer and slower glide with less atmospheric compression,   
   >producing less heat build-up, would be preferable to the high speed plunge   
   >technique?.   
      
   The former is what the shuttle already does.  And as I noted, it makes   
   thermal protection considerably harder, resulting in much less robust   
   systems.   
      
   If you're suggesting making it still longer and slower, that is easier   
   said than done.  Slowing the process down requires staying up in thinner   
   air, which in turn requires better gliding performance -- to be technical,   
   a higher hypersonic L/D (lift/drag) ratio.  Alas, the configuration   
   changes needed for that tend to make thermal problems worse, not better.   
   --   
   MOST launched 30 June; science observations running     |   Henry Spencer   
   since Oct; first surprises seen; papers pending.        | henry@spsystems.net   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)