🚀 go-pugleaf

The following is a bit to think.  Under no circumstance should this
be considered policy or a sign of how NASA (my employer) thinks
about policy.  This is strictly my opinion.  Enough disclaimer.

Shortly, after the Challenger accident it amazed me the attention
given the the crew as Heros.  Roger Noe and I discussed this a bit
because we saw them more as victims.  Shortly there after, I signed
off due to the volume of trash in the space and shuttle groups.
[I've only returned because of the reorganization of the net groups,
and will leave when it gets bad again.]  No discussion about sending
crews up can take place with adequately considering some other
major accidents.  We typically think of an accident as a single
focused event: Chernobyl is a good counter to this way of thinking.

Consider, as I did several months ago, SUPPOSE there had existed a
different emergency situation on the Challenger.  Let's say it made
it into orbit, but badily damaged, but the crew could live 10 days
(stretching it), and further SUPPOSE, we had the capability to launch
another shuttle during this time frame, but that since the weather
was basically the same, we had to risk a rescue/second accident.
(Assuming a potentially time wear-out problem.) Do we let the crew die
in orbit (or try and re-enter in a crippled craft)?  Do we risk
a second crew to the potential of a similar accident under near
identical conditions (remember we did not know within 10 days the cause
of the accident) [give more thought to this condition, would you go up
knowing the odds to save another crew in orbit, or is it a futile
gesture]?  These are the kinds of conditions which bring out
heroism (or more victims).  The space program has had many close calls
in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs (as well as similar Soviet
problems).

Sure, we are all going to be careful the NEXT time.  It's our history.
It's how mankind progresses.  Sure, the next mission and subsequent ones
are going to have increased awareness, but don't focus on this one
problem.  Don't forget there were other identified problems.  Keep
general awareness.

--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  eugene@ames-aurora.ARPA
  "You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?"
  {hplabs,hao,nike,ihnp4,decwrl,allegra,tektronix,menlo70}!ames!aurora!eugene