Re:A failure of imagination (Score 1)

I am sorry, but I don't think you have given the suggestion of abandoning the "S" turns a real answer. Answering that NASA has plotted the descent profile with great precision is not a meaningful answer at all.

If you want to abandon those turns, then how else do you suggest slowing down the orbiter? I think you are maybe trying to compare this to an airplane and there is little comparison.

Excuse me, you expressed this opinion very authoritatively. Can you justify this opinion? I am not a rocket scientist. Nor do I claim to be. I give my opinions here. And I have explained my reasoning. You haven't.

I am not claiming to be an engineer, or a propulsion expert. My degree was in astronomy. Since I was interested in the shuttle program, I did a multi-course grad level study of the program. Since I am not an engineer, I can't always explain some things well. I aploogize for that, but my studies did take me to KSC and I got to know some of the people who are enginners down there and who work on the shuttle.

Too many people try to compare the orbiter to airplanes and jets and you just can't do that. The orbiter operates in very difficult conditions at best. There is little room for error. One tiny mistake can snowball to disaster. It is a delicate system at best. Can we do better? Sure, and we will, but there will be mistakes along the way. And, given their budget, NASA is crippled from the start.