🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <24JAN199320503892@judy.uh.edu> wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov writes:
>I wonder if people like this are just trying to provoke me? The last I heard
>was that SSF was going to use LOX/H2 thrusters for orbit maintainance.
>Am I wrong? If so, then they are MORE risky than hydrazine.

Freedom will use hydrazine. The original plan was to use hydrogen/oxygen
rockets, with long-term fuel storage made possible by storing water
and electralisizing (sp?) it as needed. Unfortunately, the available
power was less than expected, so hydrozine will be used instead.

>Also for your information, NASA has been flying station precursors for
>over ten years now. They are called Spacelab.  Also the new SpaceHab will
>be flying on STS-57 in April.  These are dependent on Shuttle for
>utilities, but are doing the most important SSF precursor work, which is
>the experiments for microgravity.

If the initial microgravity experiments on Freedom were a failure,
they could be redesigned and replaced. If the station can not provide
power, life support, utilities, etc..., the station will be a failure.
Therefore, the mission critical parts of Freedom haven't been flown or
tested.

                                              Frank Crary
                                              CU Boulder