Going to ISS any safer?

Hi all...

The recent uproar over the shuttle no longer planning to service Hubble since
it doesnt offer a "safe haven" like the ISS does got me thinking...

Does going to the ISS make a shuttle flight realistically ANY safer?

First, just HOW much inspecting CAN you do....as some on the net
observed....the purpose of the shuttle now appears to be to build the ISS and
the purpose of the ISS is a place for the shuttle to go....so now we can add
the reason for 2 week flights and 7 astronuats it it takes that long to inspect
the shuttle.....so we now have long flights to inspect the shuttle and we
inspect the shuttle so we can fly it!

Secondly, how safe are any repairs you've done?

And most importantly.....

How likely is it for the shuttle to sustain damage that simultaneously

1 allows the shuttle to make it to the ISS safely

2 but is significant enough to be detected upon inspection

Seems to me ALL kinds of bad things can happen during launch and during rentry
that have nothing to do with be able to fix little things because you went to
ISS rather just wherever in orbit you needed to go instead...

My WAG is that going to ISS makes a shuttle flight about 10 percent safer....

So....is a rocket that is now only fractionally safer change a previously
downright dangerous rocket into one that is acceptably safe? seems like a
pretty moronic mindset to me.....

Its like a person that eats all the wrong foods, drinks and drives too much,
smokes like a chimney, and is way behind on thier payments to the local loan
shark....but decides that the've greatly increased their lifespan because all
of a sudden they have taken to eating healthy garden salads....

IMHO if they were to fix the foam shedding problem...and do a thorough
inspection of the thermal protection system for hidden damage and/or
degradation...the shuttle would be as safe or safer than it ever has been and
about as safe as any other rocket out there...

Now whether the shuttle design makes any engineering or economic sense is a
whole other issue....

take care

Blll

"BllFs6" wrote in message
...
Hi all...

The recent uproar over the shuttle no longer planning to service Hubble
since
it doesnt offer a "safe haven" like the ISS does got me thinking...

Does going to the ISS make a shuttle flight realistically ANY safer?

First, just HOW much inspecting CAN you do....as some on the net
observed....the purpose of the shuttle now appears to be to build the ISS
and
the purpose of the ISS is a place for the shuttle to go....so now we can
add
the reason for 2 week flights and 7 astronuats it it takes that long to
inspect
the shuttle.....so we now have long flights to inspect the shuttle and we
inspect the shuttle so we can fly it!

Secondly, how safe are any repairs you've done?

And most importantly.....

How likely is it for the shuttle to sustain damage that simultaneously

1 allows the shuttle to make it to the ISS safely

2 but is significant enough to be detected upon inspection

Seems to me ALL kinds of bad things can happen during launch and during
rentry
that have nothing to do with be able to fix little things because you went
to
ISS rather just wherever in orbit you needed to go instead...

My WAG is that going to ISS makes a shuttle flight about 10 percent
safer....

So....is a rocket that is now only fractionally safer change a previously
downright dangerous rocket into one that is acceptably safe? seems like a
pretty moronic mindset to me.....

Its like a person that eats all the wrong foods, drinks and drives too
much,
smokes like a chimney, and is way behind on thier payments to the local
loan
shark....but decides that the've greatly increased their lifespan because
all
of a sudden they have taken to eating healthy garden salads....

IMHO if they were to fix the foam shedding problem...and do a thorough
inspection of the thermal protection system for hidden damage and/or
degradation...the shuttle would be as safe or safer than it ever has been
and
about as safe as any other rocket out there...

Now whether the shuttle design makes any engineering or economic sense is
a
whole other issue....

NASA's decision to stop the Hubble servicing mission shows just how scared
they are. Servicing satellites like Hubble was one of the reasons the
Shuttle was built in the first place. Of all the Shuttles planned uses,
only one remains, ISS construction. The pride of the U.S.A. is now
relegated to being a cargo tug that has to carry a repair crew along.

What else was uncovered during the CAIB investigation that has them running
so scared?

uray