Bob Palmer wrote:
> Steve, Allan, et Listers,
>
> ....................................Adding to my confusion,
> Titan is the largest of Saturn's 18 moons, where Steve's Titan rocket has
> helped to send the Cassini probe. A quick search of the Web gives numerous
> hits on "Titan rocket" that discuss, in addition to the several recent
> unsuccessful launches of the Titan, interesting information on the Cassini
> probe. TTFN,
> Bob
Bob,
For your amusement, JPL was being wooed by NASA to switch from the Titan, which
had launched all previous planetary probes, to their shuttle (which needed the
work). They pointed out a Titan had once failed, and they were better. The
payload capability was not sufficient to handle the load, so they proposed
sending the probe up in two pieces, on two shuttle missions, and then
assembling it in orbit and launching the last stages. The launch window on
that flight was so tight that they only had a few days in that one single month
to go, or JP wouldn't be able to make it to Saturn . There was a round robin
of discussions on this subject, with the usual lengthy technical dissertations.
I think, in due modesty, that I made the best and last argument for using the
Titan rocket. I stood up in the meeting at JPL and told their senior panel
that it would be presumptuous of them to launch the Cassini, and attempt a soft
landing of a probe on Saturn's moon, "Titan", if they did not launch the
payload on a "TITAN".
There was a dead silence in the room, then the senior panelist smiled and said
it was the best argument for vehicle down-selection he'd heard all day.
{9->
And they picked the Titan, and it flew on time and perfectly. Whew!
Steve
--
Steve Laifman < Find out what is most >
B9472289 < important in your life >
< and don't let it get away!>
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