EMERGENCY IN SPACE !
The next Flight of the Shuttle may be the most dangerous mission ever attempted, unless cooler heads prevail and the mission is changed to effect repairs on damaged Gyros and perhaps even install new emergency backup Gyros for redundancy in the design. This is all because yet another Gyro has failed on the International Space Station. When the Shuttle gets up there next, they will face weak structures that may not be able to withstand the stress of firing of thrusters if the lack of Gyro Stabilization causes problems.Now there is the danger that the Shuttle may be bringing yet more mass and starting construction while turning off another gyro , which could cause a need for thrusters to maintain attitude. If that mess collapses on the Shuttle it could be spaghetti and multiple stranded astronauts and the end of ISS and the Shuttle program all in one big disaster.For more on the situation please see this news link;
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061010cmg/
I want to note that the Gyros maintain orientation/attitude, and the amount of force required is directly proportional to the amount of mass that must be kept under control. This last mission of the shuttle brought up a very massive solar panel array, and supplies, so the station now has more mass than ever before which is really going to put a lot of stress on the remaining gyros; expect the failure rate to increase. For more information concerning Gyros and the background in their use on the space station see;
http://www.thespacesite.com/forums,topic,2485?session=c0e4ea645bc993880899e4a491a6ecee
Also note that that last site is very good for all forms of space information, and is easy to post your ideas and they are good at answering questions as well. They also have a section of space art, and in general are perhaps the best for starting and pro space enthusiasts.
I am starting a thread about the Gyro problem on board the International Space Station on my Alternative Propulsion Group at;
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/gravitationalpropulsionstevenson/
I certainly hope that enough attention is generated to reconsider the mission that is currently planned because in space flight there is such a narrow range within which to operate. And there is pressure to continue with a plan of construction despite a multitude of dangers, however one mistake is all it would take to have a serious situation. Remember this is an INTERNATIONAL Space Staion, and that means that the whole World would be blaming each other, and world tensions are bad enough without that! Please make sure others know about this potential emergency before it’s too late !
Mystery.
Mankind has moved along quite nicely , while operating under incorrect theories._____ Stevenson