Re: SPACE: Mir (was Re: sociotechnic correlations)

Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Mon, 21 Jul 1997 18:53:55 -0400


Mark Grant wrote:
>
> On Thu, 17 Jul 1997, Michael Lorrey wrote:
>
> > If their
> > automated systems are too stupid to be able to dock without rupturing a
> > space station, they must be socialist
>
> Much as I hate to defend the socialists, the recent crash was the result
> of a test of the remote *manual* docking system. The automated system has
> worked well (or at least safely) for years, but the Russian space program
> can no longer afford to buy the automatic docking units. Hence if Mir
> stays in space they will soon have to rely on this manual system for all
> operations.
>

huh, the news here said that they had brought the cargoship in on manual
untile the last few meters or so and then flipped on the automatic
system. The automatic system supposedly overshot and caused the tanker
to bounce off SPEKTRA and rip off a couple solar panels.

In any account, Mir's present troubles are an excellent illustration of
the problems that can occur on extended missions with little support
that I have been trying to explain...

-- 
TANSTAAFL!!!
			Michael Lorrey
------------------------------------------------------------
mailto:retroman@tpk.net		Inventor of the Lorrey Drive
Agent Lorrey@ThePentagon.com
Silo_1013@ThePentagon.com	http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/

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