XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.physics, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: jfindley@cinci.nospam.rr.com   
      
   In article ,   
   rgregoryclark@gmSPAMBLOACKail.com says...   
   >   
   > If NASA had ordered the Columbia imaging, finding the damage   
   > unsurvivable, all the space-faring nations in the world, which are at least   
   > five, would have been working hard to send up a cargo mission to meet up   
   > with Columbia within the 16 day time frame.   
   >   
   > But they never were even given a chance to try.   
   >   
   > BTW, since this is in regards to "The Martian", for you chemistry heads out   
   > there, are there some foods, liquids, or common materials that might be on   
   > the shuttles that could have filtered out the CO2 in air other than the   
   > lithium canisters? For instance perhaps the solubility of CO2 in water is   
   > different than in O2 and there could have been a way to separate out the CO2   
   > from the air that way.   
      
   Extremely doubtful anything on board would absorb enough CO2.  LiOH   
   canisters are chemically active.  Trying to substitute with something   
   soluble that they would have had on board would have been nearly   
   impossible.   
      
   Other scenarios (some more plausible than others):   
      
   http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077581/ns/technology_and_science-   
   space/t/could-shuttle-crew-have-been-saved/   
      
   Jeff   
   --   
   "the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would   
   magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper   
   than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in   
   and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)