Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Path: utzoo!henry From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Built in Holds in Countdown Message-ID: <1988Sep19.111225.4591@utzoo.uucp> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology References: <10358@reed.UUCP> Date: Mon, 19 Sep 88 11:12:25 GMT In article <10358@reed.UUCP> reeder@reed.UUCP (P Douglas Reeder) writes: >Why are there built-in holds in the countdown? Because ticks on the countdown clock have come to denote progress toward launch, as opposed to the passage of time per se. Since minor glitches are not uncommon, there needs to be some slack time allowed for fixing them. So there are periods when, if no glitches have appeared, no actual progress is being made toward launch and the clock is stopped. That's my understanding of it anyway. It's always seemed kinda silly. -- NASA is into artificial | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology stupidity. - Jerry Pournelle | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu