🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1529@ubu.warwick.UUCP> arg@opal.UUCP (Ruaraidh Gillies) writes:
>In article <1989Mar4.225139.20609@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
>>The latest major Soviet space problem -- the Soyuz reentry foulup -- put
>>their program back maybe two or three weeks.
>Have to admit defeat here - never heard of it.

This is the one where the Soyuz returning from Mir couldn't fire its
retrorockets.  They were temporarily stranded; low on oxygen, and could
neither get back to Mir or reenter.  The good 'ol sensation-mongering
USA TV networks were full of lots of hand-wringing about how the
cosmonauts were going to run out of air shortly.  Except for one
interview with James Oberg, where he said the cosmonauts were in no
danger, and would reenter on the next orbit.

He was right.

I think it was some kind of computer problem; they just overrode it and
fired the retros manually.

I think the most interesting Soviet failure was the one with the Indian
'guest cosmonaut', in which the booster blew up on the pad.  The
escape tower worked perfectly, and cosmonauts survived, though slightly
mashed due to the high g-forces of escape tower rockets.

(Good heavens, that newsgroups line!!  I'm paring that down to reason.
rec.music.misc!??!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!)
-- 
"It was more dangerous to drive                 Mike Van Pelt
away from Three Mile Island than                Video 7
to stay there." -- Dr. Bruce Ames.              ...ames!vsi1!v7fs1!mvp