[extropy-chat] SPACE: Will Frances destroy the remaining threeshuttles?

Terry W. Colvin fortean1 at mindspring.com
Wed Sep 1 20:54:02 UTC 2004


Adrian Tymes wrote:
> 
> --- Kevin Freels <megaquark at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > With KSC preparing for Frances' arrival
> > (http://spaceflightnow.com/hurricane/status.html),
> > one has to wonder what damage, or good would come if
> > the remaining three shuttles were destroyed by
> > hurricane or tornado while in their hangers.
> >
> > Would this necessarily be a bad thing?
> 
> The answer to that is the inverse of whether you think
> continuing the Shuttle program is a good thing.  But
> what's likely is that the area will suffer repairable
> damage, which repairs will come out of other NASA
> operations, and possibly lead to a permanent increase
> in Shuttle operation costs (due to the "need" to guard
> against hurricane operations even at White Sands, or
> even well outside of hurricane season).  Any
> suggestion of mobile, quicker operations that could
> use the Shuttles as vehicles to move themselves and
> some cargo well out of the hurricane's path (which is
> what you'd do with any high-value airplane) will be
> quickly dismissed by the same administrators who
> wonder why it's so difficult to get an extra billion
> dollars to fund this "necessary" repair work.

You mention "guard against hurricane operations even at White Sands."
Well, Pacific Ocean hurricanes do hit Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas
although these are downgraded to tropical storms or less before they
hit.  For example, Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lester came through Arizona
(Cochise and Santa Cruz counties) the same week Hurricane Andrews hit
Florida in 1992.  We had 50-60 mph winds tearing down carports, trees,
and ripping off a few roofs.  Fortunately, almost all of our power and
telephone lines are buried here in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

BTW, the 12,000 foot runway at Libby Army Air Field on Fort Huachuca is
an alternate emergency landing strip for Shuttles unable to land at White
Sands Missile Range.

Terry


-- 
"Only a zit on the wart on the heinie of progress." Copyright 1992, Frank Rice


Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1 at mindspring.com >
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