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To: onedoug
Wasn't Atlantis scheduled to leave Vandenberg AFT for a polar orbit shortly after the Challenger disaster? (and the polar orbit mission was scrubbed) ...
24 posted on 02/03/2003 6:34:43 PM PST by Bobby777
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To: Bobby777
Vandenberg AFT s/b Vandenberg AFB ... typo ...
25 posted on 02/03/2003 6:43:57 PM PST by Bobby777 (hint:: always use the darn preview!!!!)
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To: Bobby777
Vandenberg was certainly in the cards prior to the Challenger accident, presumably for better access to polar orbits, and hence, military missions.

I followed the mission mentioned in #s 8 & 20 fairly keenly though, curious as to what it may have been about. I was struck at launch by its exceptionally wide roll maneuver, which sure seemed to aim it further north. There was a lot of speculation by the media that it was to release a classified payload. And maybe it did. But that landing too, seemed quite unusual. I yet wonder that there wasn't something pretty heavy in there.

Conversely though, I don't think there's been such a highly classified mission since. But having and continuing that kind of access to orbit has yet got to be militarily important. I don't think capitalism has permeated the Chinese psyche quite so deeply yet to consider it primary to their applications.

28 posted on 02/03/2003 10:13:03 PM PST by onedoug
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