cjk4800@ultb.isc.rit.edu (C.J. Kohanek) (03/14/90)
Hi there everyone... You might want to confirm this with someone who really knows what they are talking about, but I do know that it is impossible to keep the cargo doors closed through an entire mission. The cargo door must be opened just after achieving orbit in order to release heat built up by the fuel cells (I think it's the fuel cells that make all of that heat.) For this reason, (and probably many more) you can't keep them closed containing Earth air. As for the return, I don't know whether or not the cargo bay can hold a vacuum. I really don't know if it is airtight. You would think it would be in order to protect the cargo while it takes off and lands(that may create some nasty wind. Hope this helps, Christopher J. Kohanek Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Imaging Science