>>LOL! I guess it's obvious to all involved.
Umm, is the answer
Demi Moore? I've heard she has
a lot of money . . .
Posted on 07/28/2005 2:05:54 PM PDT by lizol
Russia to help evacuate Discovery’s crew, if need be
28.07.2005, 17.16
KOROLYOV, Moscow Region, July 28 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will be prepared to provide its Soyuz spacecraft for evacuating the Discovery space shuttle’s crew, if necessary.
“By February 2006 we would be prepared to launch three manned Soyuz spacecraft, if the Discovery’s crew will have to be rescued,” the president and general designer of the Energia space rocket corporation, Nikolai Sevastianov said. “We shall do everything in our powers to cope with this complex task. If we exert the maximum effort, the crew would be evacuated by three Soyuz craft before February 2006,” he said.
For this, the entire timetable of manned and cargo spacecraft launches will have to be reconsidered.
Under the original schedule the Russian space agency Roskosmos is to launch two cargo spacecraft Progress – one in September and the other, in December, and one Soyuz spacecraft on October 1 that will take to the ISS the crew of the next main mission and one space tourist.
If a rescue operation proves necessary, Russia will be able to launch another, fourth Soyuz without a crew, because it can dock with the ISS automatically.
In case of this march of events the current crew – Sergei Krikalyov and John Phillips will have to wait for that vacant spacecraft to arrive.
“The ISS must always have experienced crew members capable of performing any complicated operations in orbit, including manual docking,” Sevastianov said.
Neither Russian nor NASA officials specified who would finance the launch of extra Soyuz spacecraft.
LOL! I guess it's obvious to all involved.
Thanks guys, but that sounds more like a body recovery operation than a rescue.
LOL! Yeah, I wonder who will pay?
< /sarcasm>
A problem with Discovery is one thing. A problem with the ISS during the seven months would have people marching in the streets.
This ain't no joke, folks. We're damn lucky that the Russkies are there to pull our butts out of the fire, if it comes to that.
The Chinese via Hong Kong?
Grandstanding Cossacks! **Rolling Eyes til' they BLEED**
Hah, considering the multi millions of dollars slick willie funnelled to the Russian space program when Yeltsin was in charge, I should think so!!!!
So, if we have a problem with Discovery, and they need to be rescued, the Russians will be there for us - in seven months?Thanks guys, but that sounds more like a body recovery operation than a rescue.
Umm, is the answer
Demi Moore? I've heard she has
a lot of money . . .
They were planning to launch Atlantis if Discovery needed to be rescued. But I assume that is out of the question now that the fleet is grounded. There is no reason to risk stranding 2 shuttles up there because of environmental concerns over freon based insulation. (Damn enviro-whackos)
If it comes down to it, and it does not look likely, they can send up extra supplies for the crew to live on the ISS or the Shuttle until rescue craft (or a repair kit?) can be sent up.
It is really sad that our space program has been nearly crippled once again due to the environmental nutcases in this country.
Who says the atlantis is grounded. Have I missed somthing?
No, it's more like: "Hey, look at US! No, No, Over HERE!"
Uhhhhh ...... yeah. The entire fleet was grounded yesterday.
I know. That's why I was commenting on a "rescue" with a seven month lag time. There wont be anybody left alive to rescue. The concept of a timely "rescue" in space with our level of technology is a ludicrous one. It makes me wonder why they even brought it up.
It also makes me wonder why we launched Discovery in the first place. Granted, she is up there testing some new safety equipment, but it wont do us much good if she can't come back down. The shuttles are old, and have needed replacing for quite some time now. We should have been working on their replacements in a more timely manner. It is a shame that we have put ourselves in the position where we have no choice but to launch these ships.
Is there a problem with Discovery or what? What's going on? Nice of the families down here to have to sit and listen to all this talking. Was the shuttle damaged on takeoff or not? Are our astronauts in trouble or what? Wish someone would just say what is going on.
NASA is determining whether any debris that came off the external fule tank damaged Discovery's heat shield. This is what doomed Columbia. So far they think Discovery is okay and that none of the large pieces struck the heat shield. However, until they can come up with an improved external tank, they do not want to take a chance with Atlantis or Endeavor.
How about a second ANsari X prize. The goal will be a privately funded craft (with crew) to make a round trip to the ISS.
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