Re: On orbit assembly? Zero gee means no design-ahead? What?

From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Wed Mar 07 2001 - 00:54:54 MST


"Michael M. Butler" wrote:
> I get the impression you think I think that everything will work
> perfectly with no need for space systems engineering review by people
> who have actually "seen the elephant". Or that you think I think we can
> cook up some system on the back of an envelope and launch a zillion in
> short order.
>
> I don't think that. And I don't expect everything to be bug free in
> version 1.0. And I don't have all the answers.

Ah, ok, another miscommunication, then. I was stressing that this need
for design-ahead, and review by experts, and so forth, takes away the
most significant part of the analogy to LEGOs, namely that complete
amateurs can do their own assembly on the spot without review (very
useful, since the hubris of some newbies in just about all fields keeps
them from thinking they need said review, plus review means
coordination with another party means more necessary complexity for
even the simplest projects).

> But there's (for
> instance) a propulsion weenie on this list, and I'd trust him to not
> fsck up that part too badly. :)

I resemble that remark. ^_^;



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