friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) (03/05/86)
In article <350@vger.UUCP> al@vger.UUCP ( Informatix) writes: > > NASA would prefer that the cause of >the accident be found and fixed as quickly as possible. > The problem is not to wreck vengence, the problem is to resume >space flight. Ditto to this in spades! I couldn't care less whose *fault* the accident was. Lets forget all about *blaming* anyone, there is no more useless activity in the human reportoire. The thing to do is find out the cause of the accident, fix it, and get going again as fast as possible. Is anyone out there with authority listening? -- Sarima (Stanley Friesen) UUCP: {ttidca|ihnp4|sdcrdcf|quad1|nrcvax|bellcore|logico}!psivax!friesen ARPA: ttidca!psivax!friesen@rand-unix.arpa
klr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler) (03/06/86)
In article <1038@psivax.UUCP> friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) writes: >In article <350@vger.UUCP> al@vger.UUCP ( Informatix) writes: >> >> NASA would prefer that the cause of >>the accident be found and fixed as quickly as possible. >> The problem is not to wreck vengence, the problem is to resume >>space flight. > > Ditto to this in spades! I couldn't care less whose *fault* >the accident was. Lets forget all about *blaming* anyone, there is no >more useless activity in the human reportoire. The thing to do is find >out the cause of the accident, fix it, and get going again as fast as >possible. Is anyone out there with authority listening? >-- > > Sarima (Stanley Friesen) > I expressed this attitude at my meeting at Senator Garn's office as well, and Mr. Bingham (and I guess the Senator) agree. Find the problem amd fix it. Trying to find someone to burn at the stake is counterproductive. As an aside, I will be meeting with Mr. Bingham AND Senator Garn in 3-4 weeks to 1) discuss how best to use the messages collected off the various nets, 2) how to respond to those who wrote, and 3) to take any additional messages that have arrived since March 4th. Our messages do have weight with Senator Garn (they also did some damage to my arm! ;-) ). Please keep the discussions going. You can also send mail for Senator Garn to my UUCP address: ..!seismo!hadron!klr "The Dream is alive! And we can keep it that way!"
mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR) (03/14/86)
In article <1038@psivax.UUCP> friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) writes: >In article <350@vger.UUCP> al@vger.UUCP ( Informatix) writes: >> >> NASA would prefer that the cause of >>the accident be found and fixed as quickly as possible. >> The problem is not to wreck vengence, the problem is to resume >>space flight. > > Ditto to this in spades! I couldn't care less whose *fault* >the accident was. Lets forget all about *blaming* anyone, there is no >more useless activity in the human reportoire. The thing to do is find >out the cause of the accident, fix it, and get going again as fast as >possible. Is anyone out there with authority listening? >-- > > Sarima (Stanley Friesen) Nice sentiment, perhaps. However, in this case it appears that there is an underlying cause of the accident - the very procedures used in the decision making process. Fixing the O-ring problems from an engineering standpoint does not address the main problem - that engineering concerns were over-ridden by management concerns. To fix that problem, the guilty individuals *must* be identified and the system *must* be changed. To not fix the problem is to ask for it to happen again. Somebody screwed up, and that screw-up cost billions of dollars and seven lives, not to mention all sorts of intangible costs such as national prestige and possible resistance to future space sefforts. I don't see how you can say, "Well, nevermind. It's okay - you guys just go ahead as if nothing happened and plan the next flight." Blaming people is not a useless activity if the alternative means leaving them in place to repeat their screwups. This is high-stakes stuff, and a track record of faulty procedures is not a good recommendation for a position of authority. -- --MKR If Man were meant to use the metric system, Jesus would have had 10 disciples.
karn@petrus.UUCP (Phil R. Karn) (03/16/86)
Here's another way for an engineer to express strong concerns about flight safety: Tell the flight commander. Given the recent comments in the press by John Young and others, it seems they would not only welcome such information from a responsible source, they'd demand it. It would be very hard for upper management to decide to launch if the commander threatens to walk out and tell the press unless a problem is fixed. The captain of an aircraft takes final responsibility for the safety of his flight and therefore deserves to know EVERYTHING that relates to flight safety. I don't see why it should be any different with the Shuttle. Phil Karn "If God had meant us to use the metric system, He would have given us ten fingers, and ten toes, and..."