> The ISS will get a steady diet of Progress dockings and Shuttle > visits during > the Expedition 1 mission. [...] > The cheapest way to get supplies to the ISS is via an unmanned > Progress > mission. An unmanned mission allows you to lose the weight and > volume warm > bodies and of a life-support systems and replace it with needed > supplies. > Tang gets very expensive if you need a $250 million shuttle mission > just to > get it to the ISS. > > This is why a US-Russian team makes sense. The 2 programs are > complementary. I'm not saying that using Progress supply ships don't make sense, or that I am against using them. I just think that using them just once, and then destroying them isn't the wisest thing. Personally, I would investigate putting a better computer system, more durability (such as heat/thermal shields and a stronger structure), and perhaps a few modifications on the propulsion system in an attempt at making it reusable. Just like the Space Shuttle Orbiter isn't just used once, why not investigate at making the cargo ships be able to be used more than once? Certainly with some modifications you could enable a Progress supply ship to be able to land with remote control, and that the costs needed to get it ready for another flight would be less than the cost of building a whole new one? Or maybe Russia doesn't want to look long term? ------------------------------ Jonathan T. Wojack tlj18@juno.com 39d45'N 75d33'W ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Nov 02 2000 - 12:17:12 PST