On 5 Aug 2005 05:45:57 -0700, "Bob Haller" wrote:

Of course this ignores the FACT that foam shedding was a problem from
FLIGHT ONE. and it was obviously the old foam...

NASA is now trying to claim foam shedding is acceptable.

Whatever it takes for them to launch in September. I have looked at
this foam, where I am happy with it.

Then start flying with just a crew of one or two, that way a shuttle
stuck at station isnt 7 astronauts stuck at station...

The problem with this idea is that NASA already has an astronaut
backlog, where some of those people won't even fly in space. So by not
launching 7 people on the Shuttle, then they turn this smaller problem
into a much larger one.

Astronauts would prefer to fly, even if the odds of death changes from
dying alone, to dying within a group of 7.

Also it would not be 7 stuck at the station. There would 4 extra stuck
at the station, when the other 3 would return to earth in the Russian
Soyuz craft.

So then you would have 6 people stuck at the station, where NASA would
have 20 to 30 days to get the remaining 4 people. It would be a good
idea for this rescue mission to bring up additional supplies.

Cardman.