"Henry Vanderbilt" wrote in message
...
Hmm. Didn't they look at a Gemini design with a hatch through
the heatshield? Regardless, nose-first docking is hardly a
law of nature - look at how Shuttle docks, for instance.

Actually, the USAF re-flew a Gemini capsule that they had modified to this
design. It was launched on top of a "boilerplate" MOL and performed a
successful re-entry.

In the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH, you can see a Blue Gemini on display
(unflown) with the same hatch in the heat shield design. Note also that the
Russians (then Soviets), flew their TKS capsule with a similar hatch in the
heat shield. Although this design was never flown manned, I believe that
there weren't any problems with the hatch in the heat shield during test
flights.

There are also several hatches in the bottom of the shuttle's heat shield.
Most notable are the three large ones for the landing gear and two smaller
ones which go over the connections to the ET (i.e. the 17" diameter LOX and
LH2 lines). Failure of any of these hatches would very likely mean another
Columbia like disaster.

So while hatches in the heat shield may not be a designer's first choice,
the technology has existed since the Gemini days to make this work.

Jeff
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