| The military aircraft we have are all equipped with | | | | emergency for the space shuttle to depart from the |
| anti-SAM systems. These prevent SAMs, | | | | rockets and glide back to land in full visibility or VFR |
| Surface-to-air-missiles, which are heat seeking from | | | | conditions. Therefore it supposedly needs a 20-mile |
| hitting the aircraft. The systems send out many very | | | | radius of clear clouds to make the approach and turn |
| hot flare type pieces out of the back of the aircraft | | | | around. However the shuttle should be able to be |
| and fool the Surface to air missile into thinking that | | | | guided back thru the clouds via a ground system, |
| those are the targets, thus the missile goes after the | | | | augmented reality simulator like the Global Hawk. |
| chafe flares instead of the actual aircraft. Is it | | | | Additionally why would the astronauts need to see |
| possible to have such a system for the space shuttle | | | | to fly the spacecraft/aircraft at that point? After all |
| launch? Or can we send up fire works along the | | | | they practice such aborted launches after lift off in |
| perimeters of the spectator areas to trick a missile | | | | simulators, where they are not actually looking at the |
| fired by anyone with a hand held surface to air | | | | ground and also we have available now systems, |
| shoulder launched weapon? We know our Space | | | | which are even used in Business Jets for zero/zero |
| Shuttle could be targeted by International Terrorists. | | | | visibility landings. Just because the space shuttle |
| Is there a way to use a similar type system to | | | | would most likely be doing a dead stick landings as it |
| prevent lightning strikes on the shuttle so we may | | | | always does should not make any difference, as the |
| launch it during thunder and lightning storms? Perhaps | | | | runway at Cape Canaveral is huge and made for such |
| using a skin coating, which will melt off as it is | | | | emergencies. |
| launched and gets up to speed, which would have | | | | True safety should begin with complete reality based |
| the correct polarity to prevent a lightning strike? | | | | thinking, back up systems and confidence in the |
| Today we see a scrubbed launch of the Space | | | | abilities of the systems and those trusted to do their |
| Shuttle, for a couple of reasons, one being the storm | | | | job. Think on this. |
| clouds approaching and the need in case of | | | | |