Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Lost Apollo 12?
Message-ID: <1990Sep14.170238.1944@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <ARNAUD.90Sep7090637@schizo.imposter.samsung.com> <36975@ut-emx> <6331@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 90 17:02:38 GMT

In article <6331@castle.ed.ac.uk> tjc@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham) writes:
>	I'm curious to know why an aircraft can take a lightning strike
>with no damage due to the Faraday Cage effect and Apollo 12 nearly had
>to be aborted. Is this where the trail of ionised gas is significant?

Faraday cages are not magic; having a zillion amps flowing along the
outside of your vehicle can wreak havoc on internal electronics even
if it doesn't get inside.  Aircraft don't always survive lightning
strikes.
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