Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site alice.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!harpo!eagle!allegra!alice!alb
From: alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Retrieving Westar/Palapa
Message-ID: <2599@alice.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Feb-84 14:38:55 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.2599
Posted: Fri Feb 10 14:38:55 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Feb-84 08:41:20 EST
References: <5539@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 9

There are two reasons why the satellites cannot be retrieved.
(1) They do not have grappling hooks, i.e. the RMS can't
    grab them.  Why not?  They were designed to fly at 22,000
    miles, where they wouldn't have been able to be retrieved
    anyway.
(2) They are too unstable rotationally.

As for rendezvousing with one of them, NASA said that would use
up too much fuel.