In Favor of Go Fever, Launch the Shuttle Already

Since the accidental loss of Columbia, NASA has spent billions of
dollars trying to make the shuttle perfectly safe. This cannot be
done. There is no such thing as a foam that can fly 17,000 miles an
hour without some risk of breaking up. For the amount of money we
spend on trying to make the shuttle perfectly safe, we ought to just
build more of them and launch, as is.

I propose that we basically offer the shuttle to fly, as is. Given the
risks involved, we would pay the astronauts a couple million bucks a
piece per flight. If the astronauts don't want to fly, there are
plenty of pilots that can.

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oups.com...
Since the accidental loss of Columbia, NASA has spent billions of
dollars trying to make the shuttle perfectly safe. This cannot be
done. There is no such thing as a foam that can fly 17,000 miles an
hour without some risk of breaking up. For the amount of money we
spend on trying to make the shuttle perfectly safe, we ought to just
build more of them and launch, as is.

I propose that we basically offer the shuttle to fly, as is. Given the
risks involved, we would pay the astronauts a couple million bucks a
piece per flight. If the astronauts don't want to fly, there are
plenty of pilots that can.

Well, its a view. Its a bit like recruiting mercenaries for an illegal war,
or call it market forces? :-)

I think you miss the point here.

its not just foam, its complexity, age of design and aging components etc,
which is always going to be the problem.

Space is a risky business, and as has been said here before, its trying
toget the balance right. There are no safe ways to get to space, just less
dangerous ones.

Brian


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Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
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I can maybe see contiuning to fly as is BUT'

The CREW SIZE MUST BE CUT TO ONE THE STATION CAN EASILY MAINTAIN TILL
RESCUE IS AVAILABLE!

Obviously a rescue shuttle is a pipe dream, unless you just launched it
with a single pilot or at most crew of 2 and loaded it with
consumables.

if the rescue shuttle was lucky you unload all the supplies and return
the stranded crew.



if the rescue shuttle gets damaged and cant return safely at least the
now larger stranded crew has more eassential supplies.

lets see worse case it will be crowded and boring.

ISS crew of 2, rescue crew of 2, 7 shuttle crew.

NASA REALLY SHOULD SLASH THE NUMBER OF CREW BEFORE FLYING SO STRANDING
DOESNT MEAN DYING