Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: why is there air in the air packs?
Message-ID: <1988Sep22.162726.13450@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <14956@ames.arc.nasa.gov> <1988Sep17.073035.29265@utzoo.uucp> <1177@zippy.eecs.umich.edu>
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 88 16:27:26 GMT

In article <1177@zippy.eecs.umich.edu> cja@zippy.eecs.umich.edu (Charles J. Antonelli) writes:
>if the air packs cannot prevent loss of consciousness at the breakup altitude,
>then what good are the air packs? ...

As I think I mentioned in that same article (sigh), they were meant for
escape on the ground, not in the air.

>it might be that the designers assumed that any problems that occur at
>extreme altitude severe enough to require emergencey breathing equipment
>would probably be fatal anyway.

I believe that's correct.

>it may also be that lots of oxygen canisters in the cabin constitute a
>risk in themselves.

Oxygen in general is not something you want to play with unless you have
to -- it is, after all, a very strong oxidizer!  I doubt that this was
much of a consideration, though.
-- 
NASA is into artificial        |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
stupidity.  - Jerry Pournelle  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu