In article <C242Hs.HsE@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
|>
|>Any reason why the shuttle doesn't have a similar mechanism?
|
|I think it was just awkward for other reasons to have a tall tower on
|the mobile pad. There is a lightning-rod system in the external tank's
|nose cap, but presumably they prefer not to trust it with live SRBs
|involved.
|--
Given NASA's love of high tech solutions, why didn't they develope
a high tech lightning rod. They could have paid rockwell a cool
10 million to develope one. I know there were proposals to
use lasers to create ionization paths to attract lightning.
How about microwaves, or electron guns? Simpler, how abou;t
some chaff launchers, or balloons dragging wires. You could
deploy the balloons near the roadway, to provide continous protection.
pat
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1993 02:50:20 GMT
From: Matt Healy <matt@wardsgi.med.yale.edu>
Subject: Today in 1986-Remember the Challenger
Newsgroups: sci.space
In my opinion, the real tragedy of Challenger is not
that 7 good people died, but that their deaths were
NOT a result of "pioneering" or any such noble bs.
They died because the administrators refused to pay
attention to the engineers! The engineers knew about
the problem, and strongly advised against launching
in cold weather. The administrators overruled them.
LET'S NOT DIGNIFY MANSLAUGHTER WITH ALL THIS EXPLORATION
BS!
Also, the decision to use the shuttle for satellite
launches, which can be done better, cheaper, and safer
with robotic rockets, was another example of criminal
negligence in my book. By all means send people out
where people are needed, but don't risk their lives
when nothing is being accomplished. Launching a
communications satellite with the shuttle is not
"exploring space", it is stupidity.
Matt Healy
"I pretend to be a network administrator; the lab
net pretends to work!"
matt@wardsgi.med.yale.edu
------------------------------
Date: 10 Feb 93 15:01:13 GMT
From: scst83@csc.liv.ac.uk
Subject: Today in 1986-Remember the Challenger
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Does anyone know the Jean Micheal Jarre song that R.Mcnell (forgive me if I've got his name incorrect) was going to play sax to, live from orbit ?
Listening to it now and directly after the accident (I don't remember the track name) I always get a sad errie feel. This song 'suits' the 'mood' of the accident, if you see what I'm getting at, almost as if it had been written
AFTER the accident and not before.
Wierd.
Lets hope things go well and we avoid further disasters.
We remember the Challanger and crew.
Chris.
------------------------------
Date: 8 Feb 93 03:17:44 GMT
From: Bill Gripp <billg@bony1.bony.com>
Subject: Units and Star Trek
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <1ks6naINNck7@hp-col.col.hp.com> dag@col.hp.com (David Geiser) writes:
>Note that these devices have almost no steering,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>only a slight course correction capability, and so must be carefully aimed.
>The parallel to ancient submarine weapons was so close that the term "photon
>torpedo" became permanently attached to these deadly implements of celestial
>combat, which in the ST:TNG era are capable of as much as 10 to 15 minutes
>travel at speeds approaching warp 9.9.
Well they did a pretty good job of steering one in ST6:TUC. =B^)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1993 02:55:31 GMT
From: Matt Healy <matt@wardsgi.med.yale.edu>
Subject: Using off-the-shelf-components
Newsgroups: sci.space
I have worn hearing aids for most of my life. Since
I also have an engineering degree, I have learned
quite a lot about the technology over the years.
Most reputable hearing aid makers have specifications
for shock resistance, humidity, and vibration which
are considerably stricter than NASA's. Dropping a
little tiny hearing aid from 6 feet onto a hard
surface (which _will_ happen) produces a truly
astonishing "g" force.
Matt Healy
"I pretend to be a network administrator; the lab
net pretends to work!"
matt@wardsgi.med.yale.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 93 17:41:03 EST
From: MAILRP%ESA.BITNET@vm.gmd.de
Paris, 11 February 1993
ESA PR internal info Nr.04-93
First firing of Ariane 5 booster
The first test firing of the Ariane 5 solid rocket booster is planned
for 16 February 1993 in Kourou, between 13h00 and 16h30, Kourou
time (i.e. 17h00 - 20h30, Paris time).
The booster was transferred from the Booster Integration Building