Dale.Amon%CMU-RI-FAS@sri-unix.UUCP (07/25/84)
In-Reply-To: Hank.Walker's message of 24 Jul 1984 1758-EST My point is that when people are on board, and if the part does not have immediate life safety implications, the crew can fix or bypass the problem, thus making it a nonproblem. The reliability levels need be no higher than those on a Boeing 747, with the exception of components critical to boost phase or control of reentry angle. Those parts need to be of a similar reliability to autopilots and navigation systems rated for blind landing in 0-0 weather by an airliner with 400+ lives at stake. I am not talking about autonomous ten year probes: there lies an entirely different set of engineeering constraints.