Subj : NASA, shuttle, anyone?
To   : WAYNE CHIRNSIDE
From : CHARLES ANGELICH
Date : Tue Aug 16 2005 02:23 am

123c71c41029
tech



Hello Wayne - 

--8<--cut 

->> I would prefer that NASA discontinue launchings of the
->> shuttles but I have a feeling they will continue until
->> there is another horrific outcome. :-( 

WC> To complete the international space station and do a Hubble
WC> service they need a minimum of 19 more flights or about one
WC> chance of another catastrophic loss. 

Fixing the Hubble makes sense. Completion of the ISS means
nothing to me. 

WC> IMO it never was the right craft for the job. 

I don't know. Considering it was designed/built about 20 years
ago it's amazing it continues to do anything at all. 

WC> The proposed replacement doesn't impress me either. a
WC> glorified Saturn 5 we got to land on the moon from in 1969. 

WC> I think it's time to consult Burt Ruttan. 

WC> I *always* thought cutting the Dynasoar program out in the
WC> moon race with the Russians was a mistake as that craft
WC> somewhat resembled SpaceShip One but using lower tech
WC> construction than the light composites Burt Ruttan used. 

WC> Burt turned his craft around in under ten days and his
WC> entire program to two flights cost 20 million from concept
WC> to 60+ miles altitude! 

I don't remember all the limitations of SpaceShipOne but it
is/was very much in the hobbyist category and not a full-blown
design that NASA could make use of right now. 

>
>        ,                          ,
>      o/      Charles.Angelich      \o       ,
>     <|                              |>  __o/
>     / >          USA, MI           < \   __\__
 

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