From: alcore@uurth.com   
      
   On 10 Aug 2005 fm451999@yahoo.com wrote:   
      
   >As far as I can determine, all U.S. capsule splashdowns have been in   
   >the South Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. Are there any reasons why the   
   >Gulf of Mexico has never been used for water recovery of manned   
   >spacecraft? I ask because, if a commercially developed space capsule   
   >(t/Space CXV, Spacehab) is used to transport supplies or astronauts to   
   >and from ISS, the orbital path used by most shuttle flights would bring   
   >a returning capsule over the Gulf of Mexico to KSC. Is this feasible,   
   >or would an ocean recovery be preferable? Thank you.   
      
   How fond of you of crashing into commercial shipping or oil rigs?   
      
   The Gulf of Mexico is *teaming* with these things.   
      
   One reason for the splashdown ranges chosen for the American space   
   program was the fact that there was absolutely nothing to run into out   
   there.  (Other than the recovery fleet itself...)   
      
   Gene P.   
   Slidell, LA   
      
   --   
   Alcore Nilth - The Mad Alchemist of Gevbeck   
   alcore@uurth.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)