OT: Shuttle Breaks Up During Re-Entry

[AS of SA]

I hope they keep the ISS going. I know the shuttle can keep it going, I suppose the old Russian rockets can also send up parts. I read the Saturn V Rockets could have deployed the whole ISS in one shot. It would have required some redesign since it doesn't need to go to the moon, but it has the "Umpfh!" factor to do it.

Personally I blame the rampant tax cutting and I hope China's space program triggers the next space race.

Humanity needs to be out there, in the stars.

[DavidG]

Anyone been to ebay lately? It is really nauseating how many Columbia items have been posted in the Last two days.

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by DavidG:
However the shuttle is not necessary to bring them home. They have a Soyuz (sp?) to do that. I also heard a theory they may launch one shuttle just to bring them home if they feel it is safer that the Soyuz

The way I heard it the Soyuz is a ballistic escape pod. Get in, fire it off, and hope you hit where you aimed. The shuttle was always considerd preferable.

Several yrs ago a soyuz landed flawlessly, with a crew of dead cosmonauts -- oxygen leak. Personally, I'd rather go in a hydrazine explosion than suffocated on re-entry. Assuming a sane person can presume to make an informed opinion on a decision like that.

At least a couple of sci-fi scenarios involve global mega corporations taking over the ISS when it's determined too expensive for governments to afford. That's silly, but maybe NASA needs to think small for a little while. Russia sure could use some time to pad it's CD's.

[DavidG]

Originally posted by Arkcon:
Several yrs ago a soyuz landed flawlessly, with a crew of dead cosmonauts -- oxygen leak.

Wasn't that like 30 years ago? And the only failure of Soyuz on reentry? I don't know near enough about the space program to know which is safer. Only that a shuttle launch is not required.

[Ruatha]

The Last time some one died in the Russian space program was 1971 if my memory is correct.
So I'd trust them anyday to send me up, I'd jump at the chance directly.

[tbontob]

Originally posted by Ruatha:
The Last time some one died in the Russian space program was 1971 if my memory is correct.
So I'd trust them anyday to send me up, I'd jump at the chance directly.

I'd jump at any chance to go up.

Including the French new booster that blew up a few months ago. Providing, of course, they had a capsul capable of supporting a human.

And in spite of the catastrophe yesterday, one of the shuttles.

[oleg]

Yes, the Last time Russian space programm suffered casualty was in 1971 - parashute did not open in time and crew died on impact. I trust Souz spaceship more than any other, especially because my farther works as a fuel engineer other there The main problem with Souz as a major transport is not safety but its limited capacity - 3 people and no more than 2.5 tons of cargo. Shuttle can carry 7 people and up to 50 tons,IIRC.

Saturn V was not that powerfull, it could carry about 100 tons on low Earth orbit. The Russian rocket Energia, wich was designed for spaceshuttle Buran could carry 150 tons. Too bad the programm was canceled because of money. Still, it would require several launches to assemble ISS.