From: Fred Martin (mung@in-touch.net)
Date: Mon Feb 03 2003 - 01:42:12 PST
Looks simple to me...at the docking station, revamp it to have a catwalk that goes
under the shuttle so someone can walk under it and do a visual inspection. When
we're on vacation and a thousand miles away from home....we check the oil, radiator
and tires before heading back. Hopefully they'll build a garage onto the ISS and
prevent a tragedy like this in the future. It is my understanding that the guvment
always had a backup plan...and on some things....a backup for the backup. And plenty
of spares....I know because I spent all morning once carrying spares and big 'ol
bearings up on deck and float testing them (at sea).... (bosses orders...your tax
dollars) before going into Brookland Naval Shipyard on an old navy tincan for a FRAM
overhaul.
Fred Martin
Don't worry bout the mule goin blind...just load the wagon!.
"J. Forster" wrote:
> People have suggested that the shuttle could have carried some provisions for
> examination and repair of tiles. I agree. One could conceive of a small
> satellite that could be put out the airlock carrying a simple stabilization
> system such as 3 gyros and a small TV camera and transmitter. It needn't be
> great. The shuttle itself then could maneuver within the camera's field of view.
> It seems that such a device could be built for under 20 lb. weight. However,
> such a system would likely be useless without some repair capability.
>
> As to a docking with the space station, the orbits are different and I strongly
> doubt there would be sufficient fuel on the shuttle for the necessary orbit
> changes. It takes a great deal of energy to change orbits.
>
> With a small fleet of vehicles, now reduced, launching a rescue mission would be
> difficult at best because of the lead times involved, even if the problem had
> been discovered early in the mission.
>
> Unfortunately, if you operate on a shoestring, you are vulnerable to single
> point failures. The loss of the crew and vehicle is a national tragedy, but it
> should not keep us from continued progress in space.
>
> -John
>
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