henry@hutto.UUCP (Henry Melton) (11/10/89)
After watching Mission Impossible, my son asked: What is the smallest number of people it would take to successfully crew a USA shuttle flight? -- Henry Melton ...!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!hutto!henry 1-512-8463241 Rt.1 Box 274E Hutto,TX 78634
msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (11/11/89)
The first shuttle mission or two (Columbia) were manned by two-man crews. Mark -- Mark Smith, KNJ2LH All Rights Reserved RPO 1604 You may redistribute this article only if those who P.O. Box 5063 receive it may do so freely. New Brunswick, NJ 08903-5063 msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (11/11/89)
In article <765@hutto.UUCP> henry@hutto.UUCP (Henry Melton) writes: >After watching Mission Impossible, my son asked: What is the smallest >number of people it would take to successfully crew a USA shuttle >flight? It depends on what the mission is doing. Most of those folks are aboard to tend to payloads and such, not to fly the bird. If the payloads are assumed to be undemanding, it's a known fact that you can get by with two (since the first test flight just had Young and Crippen aboard), and I'd guess that one person could manage the essentials in a pinch. -- A bit of tolerance is worth a | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology megabyte of flaming. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) (11/11/89)
In article <765@hutto.UUCP> henry@hutto.UUCP (Henry Melton) writes: >After watching Mission Impossible, my son asked: What is the smallest >number of people it would take to successfully crew a USA shuttle >flight? The first space shuttle flight just had 2 people, Crippen and Young. I don't think NASA would send someone up by themselves in a space shuttle. :-). Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov Jet Propulsion Lab M/S 301-355 | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov 4800 Oak Grove Dr. | Pasadena, CA 91109 |
cunniff@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ross Cunniff) (11/11/89)
> After watching Mission Impossible, my son asked: What is the smallest > number of people it would take to successfully crew a USA shuttle > flight? I don't know for sure, but Columbia had two astronauts aboard for its first launch. I suspect that is the minimum (or are you talking about ground crew? If so, the number is in the hundreds...) > Henry Melton ...!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!hutto!henry > 1-512-8463241 Rt.1 Box 274E Hutto,TX 78634 Ross Cunniff Hewlett-Packard Colorado Language Lab ...{ucbvax,hplabs}!hpfcla!cunniff cunniff%hpfcla@hplabs.HP.COM
rossd@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (David Ross) (11/18/89)
In article <Nov.10.11.29.32.1989.29066@topaz.rutgers.edu> msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) writes: >The first shuttle mission or two (Columbia) were manned by two-man >crews. And the Soviets, with a shuttle that should seem just a LITTLE familiar, have made their first launches without the aid (extra bother?) of a crew. -D (Disclaimer: With material this bad, why would I steal it?)
df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu (David James Foremsky) (11/19/89)
Just a question from a naive shuttle fan: Isn't it possible to launch a shuttle with no crew? That is, allow everything to be computer controlled. I think I read somewhere that the shuttle crew could technically 'fly' the shuttle with their hands folded in their lap. No flames, please. Just trying an idea I thought I read somewhere. Later, DJ
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (11/20/89)
In article <UZNTh0W00V4AE_fUNS@andrew.cmu.edu> df1y+@andrew.cmu.edu (David James Foremsky) writes: >Isn't it possible to launch a shuttle with no crew? That is, allow >everything to be computer controlled... Not with the current hardware. The shuttle wasn't designed for totally unmanned operation, so although many things are under computer control, there are still a good scattering of operations that are manual only. The classic example is that the computers cannot lower the landing gear. (This is partly a safety precaution, because the gear cannot be raised once it is lowered.) As far as I know, there is no fundamental reason why completely automatic operation is impossible, but some modifications would be needed. -- A bit of tolerance is worth a | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology megabyte of flaming. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer) (11/21/89)
rossd@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (David Ross) writes: >In article <Nov.10.11.29.32.1989.29066@topaz.rutgers.edu> msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) writes: >>The first shuttle mission or two (Columbia) were manned by two-man >>crews. > And the Soviets, with a shuttle that should seem just a LITTLE familiar, >have made their first launches without the aid (extra bother?) of a crew. Don't forget that the Soviets had two items going for them: 1. An extra ten years of technology 2. All the research done for them by the US. JB -- Jonathan Bayer Intelligent Software Products, Inc. (201) 245-5922 500 Oakwood Ave. jbayer@ispi.COM Roselle Park, NJ 07204