[ale] OT: Space Shuttle Columbia

[Chuck Huber]

On Tue, Feb 04, 2003 at 11:51:44PM -0500, Christopher Bergeron wrote:
> >
> >B/c the EVA suit is expensive, they weren't using it, and thus there was
> >no point in sending it up?  It's also heavy, which makes it stupid to send
> >up if they're not using it?
> >
> Case in _safety_ point.  There should be a threshold for which safety 
> concerns (IE: weight) is valued higher than the highest "satellite 
> Television" bidder.  You don't have to be a rocket-scientist (no pun 
> intended; no insensitivity intended) to know that cutting corners costs 
> lives - particularly in a high risk industry such as space travel.  The 
> weight of said spacesuit should "trump" the weight of the "paid cargo" 
> (I'm assuming that a portion of the cargo was paid for - if it wasn't 
> then the cost should be distributed across the program).

One thing that you didn't mention and probably did not consider is
that EVA's are done with no less than two people.  Always have a buddy.

> Any "armchair" person can tell you that there exists a certain 
> cost/benefit ratio to anything worth doing.  In this case, the safety 
> costs outweighed the benefit of the lives of 7 of America's BEST.

Until the exact cause of this accident is determined, any such claim
holds no water.  You don't know that a lack of safety cost any lives.
The tile damage that led to the destruction could have been caused by
debris or even a micrometor - something entirely unpredictable that no
amount of saftey could prevent, short of not flying at all.

As armchair quarterbacks, we often don't consider anything except
the obvious.  In this case, foam insulation seems to be the scapegoat
of choice.

I'm saying that additional safety measures or procedural changes
can not be merely thrown out there as "mandatory" until the cause
is determined.

> As 
> such, I challenge you to sit on your high-horse (as defined by your 
> previous comment(s)) and tell me otherwise; and I dare you to quantify 
> your "justification".

Challenge met.

Enjoy,
    - Chuck

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