From: Cohena@mdc.com (Andy Cohen)
Subject: Re: what use is Freedom?
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 92 23:02:51 GMT
Organization: MDGAC
Followup-To: sci.space

In article <1992Oct7.031717.19507@den.mmc.com>, whitmeye@den.mmc.com
(Richard Whitmeyer) wrote:

> OK, I do have some questions, 
> 1.   How come the interior appointments create the same impact on the senses
>      as my new Kenmore fridge?  I mean, were's the softness? Any wood grain?
>      
> 2.   Any plans for one in polar orbit? (I'm at Vandenberg, so there 'may be'
>      some self interests in this question.)
> 
> 3.   What happened to the large service bays visible on the early models?
> 
> 4.   Can I too see or experience the mockups? How about my kids.
> 
> 5.   How visible will this thing be from the ground?
> 
> 6.   How big can it get, when the currently planned size is too crowded?
> 
> 7.   What CAD software package(s) is used for design?

answer to 1....  Good question....I've asked it myself...  Just imagine how
much more it would cost with flight qualified wood grain panels?!.... 
Actually the colors and the offset lighting used won't be all that bad.....

2...no plans at all for polar orbit....polar orbits are VERY expensive
....just imagine the resources needed for putting all that mass into such
an extreme orbit... unless of course the components could be lifted off
from a different part of the globe.....which they can't at this time.  Pad
39 is an extremely expensive facility.... Few realize that it is one of the
most valuable resources we have.  I hear the Russian launch facility can do
polar...I really don't know tho...  They were going to put up a polar
flyer...that was work package 3 way back in the beginning of this technical
soap opera.

3.  That was pure PR and science fiction.... they would have interfered
with research and antenna clearance

4. Sure.....email me...

5. I'm told that when the sunlight hits it, the reflection will be
extreme....  I've been told that when it goes by at night it will be very
hard to miss.  I've also heard it will be visible during daylight too....

6. It's size depends upon lots of factors....as I mentioned in my first
post...one of the greatest challenges is to keep something this big stable
and on course....since it is low enough to be within reach of the
shuttle...there is atmosphere which will hit the truss and panels like a
wind on sails.... SSF will be in constant stress attempting to roll, pitch
and yaw on it's own....the gyros kick in when needed to dampen the pull and
when it goes into reboost the movement is corrected.... the larger it is,
the more mass, the more difficult it is to keep it stable...  At some point
one must balance size against power needs, weight, etc..I liked the phase B
design better in this regard...it had the trus in a position perpendicular
to the Earth's surface. However, I'm topld that it could not handle all the
facilities... I'm not too sure.. 

 I feel ...personnally... that the next challenge should be a VERY high
orbit capable shuttle....i.e., geosynchronous....  then we can build a real
space station...

7.  We use Unigraphics... the CAD package developed by McDonnell Douglas
and which was sold off to EDS...(GM)..

LETS KEEP THE THREAD GOING!