> > > Michael Lorrey writes:
> > >
> > > I'm not sure, but don't you get EM shielding during atmospheric
> > > reentry due to the plasma screen?
>
> Yes of course, but only for a minute or two during the most intense part of reentry.
> Interpolation techniques along with some accelerometers can take up the slack for the
> interim.
im not sure who wrote what above, but i must comment upon the "minute or two" of em shielding during reentry. we are talking about two different things. the reentry of a manned vehicle is very shallow so as to not place too much strain on the occupants with g forces. in a long shallow reentry, sure, you have a minute or two of signal loss by ionized atmosphere around the vehicle, as we see with the shuttle and the earlier manned capsules. the shuttle has a gentle peak of around 3 g during reentry.