From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Sat Apr 26 2003 - 18:51:24 MDT
Greg Burch supplied:
<<There's a fascinating article at
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/shuttle-03o1.html
and
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/shuttle-03o2.html
proposing a full automation of the shuttle as a means to make the whole
ISS/STS system more useful and safer. The idea is to use the Soyuz as
the sole crew transfer system, keeping two on station to increase the
ISS staffing to six. All heavy transfers would be accomplished by a
fully automated, unmanned shuttle system. There's a good discussion of
options to address the one required capability -- STS/ISS docking --
that isn't yet automated.
Greg Burch
Vice-President, Extropy Institute
<A HREF="http://www.gregburch.net>>">http://www.gregburch.net>></A>
Yah. Turning the shuttle into Buran is feasible. I am concerned that
depending of the Russians for manned flights is spooky in light of their
friendship with Saddam, and-or their perceived hostility to the US. I would
also consider some temporary fix to the American manned spaceflight program,
such as cladding the shuttle with any improved materials, modifying the
physical construction of the basic shuttle into a manned only cargo,
mini-shuttle; using whacky private industry concepts for using double stage
to orbit process, really anything would do. This would all be until we
achieve a reliable space orbiter method. This happened of W. Bushes watch and
he needs to take the lead.
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