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