From: larryg@u.washington.edu   
      
   On Fri, 17 Dec 2004, Henry Spencer wrote:   
      
   > Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 19:56:01 GMT   
   > From: Henry Spencer    
   > Newsgroups: sci.space.tech   
   > Subject: Re: How is SpaceX doing?   
   >   
   > In article ,   
   > Marc 182   wrote:   
   >>> By the time you added rendezvous/docking hardware...   
   >>   
   >> What if you don't dock?  Get close and station-keep, then spacewalk, tie   
   >> a line, and haul the stuff across. Like resupplying a ship at sea. May   
   >> even be safer than a manual docking (but not an autodocking).   
   >   
   > No, it's less safe than any kind of docking, because now any failure in   
   > stationkeeping can result in a collision.  Rendezvous & docking at least   
   > is *over with* quickly.   
   =====================================   
   How about the  possibility of a special purpose tug docked at the space   
   station.  A supply rocket comes within a few miles of the station and   
   ejects a containerized module. The  tug then comes out and feteches it and   
   docks with the station.  The tug can be very light and flimsy and would   
   need minimal fuel compared with a re-usable rocket which requires large   
   engines and a heavy re-entry structure (at least if we are talking about a   
   re-usable  supply rocket).   
      
      - Larry   
      
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