Xref: utzoo sci.space:6101 sci.space.shuttle:872 Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!tness7!killer!robertl From: robertl@killer.UUCP (Robert Lord) Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Von Braun quote Summary: one problem... Message-ID: <4782@killer.UUCP> Date: 12 Jul 88 17:09:19 GMT References: <1988Jun17.053132.5314@utzoo.uucp>, <3361@phri.UUCP> <1219@thumper.bellcore.com> Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas Lines: 25 In article <1219@thumper.bellcore.com>, karn@thumper.bellcore.com (Phil R. Karn) writes: > > I've never understood why it's so necessary to put humans into space in > order to benefit from their ability to react to unforseen circumstances. > In many situations, it makes far more sense to keep such people on the > ground instead of sending them along with the payload, especially since > the state of the communications art has gotten so good. Keeping your The state of communications has not gotten so good as to defy phyics, now has it? The non-manned approach works fine when in earth orbit, but what happens when you get up there to around the moon? By the time the person on the ground has reacted to a problem, six seconds will have passed in transmission time! In a critical situation, this could mean the destruction of the craft. Also, the computers these days are not nearly advanced to do the sort of problem manegement that you describe. Show me an unmanned launch vehical which can do as much as the shuttle can! The most advanced computer in the world is that 10 pound ball of grey matter resting on your neck... Just a few thoughts, Robert