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From: MINSKY%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: SPACE Digest V4 #271    Why spacelab died.
Message-ID: <12280@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Aug-84 18:16:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12280
Posted: Thu Aug  9 18:16:00 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Aug-84 00:34:35 EDT
Lines: 10

At the time it became clear that spacelab would fall in less than two
years, I wandered around various NASA centers to see what could be
done.  Not only was the shuttle late but the remote (telepresence)
maneuvering vehicle project was essentially unfunded.  But I also got
an impression of general unenthusiasm for an emergency rescue effort.
True, the thing was worth more than a billion in replacement costs.
But I got the feeling in several places that people would rather make
a new better one than work on refitting and re-engineering the old one.

No one would actually admit to this, but that's the impression I got.