A few days ago I checked out a new book from the library titled Challenger Revealed: An Insider's Account of How the Reagan Administration Caused the Greatest Tragedy of the Space Age by Richard Cook. So far I'm about two-thirds of the way in, and my first impressions are pretty bad. It's pretty tedious (endless accounts of the Rogers Commission), self-serving (the author leaked a memo he'd written about the SRBs back in June 1985 to the New York Times, and acts like he, single-handedly, could have saved Challenger), and the central theory doesn't make much sense. Cook insists that the Shuttles would eventually be converted into weapons platforms that could guide nuclear warheads, shoot down satellites and incinerate cities with lasers. He doesn't give any sources for these statements.

In fact, this is probably one of the most poorly-sourced books I've ever read. Cook doesn't even include a bibliography, and the list of notes has only 95 entries. I recently read Stalin and the Bomb, which was 100 pages shorter, and had 2,100 notes! I suppose I'll just have to struggle through the last third so I can complain about it with more authority. It's like one of those movies you keep watching just to see if they get better, but never does!

Does he even explain why he thinks this? Orbital weapons platforms are of very limited value, particularly based on something like the shuttle, ICBMs guide themselves, the shuttle couldn't carry a laser powerful enough to damage a city (particularly as it would only have useful LOS for a few minutes), and while it could shoot down satellites even NEO space is big enough that it would be very lucky to hit more than one or two per mission.

Nope, he doesn't explain why he thinks this. To quote:

His source? Idle speculation.

President apart, how could any of those missions benefit from the short duration and low altitude of the Shuttle? They could all be done better from unmanned satellites.

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"The truth may be out there, but lies are inside your head" Terry Pratchett

Incinerating cities with a laser? That's like butchering an elephant with a scalpel.

Mind you, back in the days when the Shuttle was supposed to be the launch platform for all US civilian and defense payloads, then the space-based components of SDI would have presumably been launched by STS. The shuttle was supposed to be a truck. Ascribing C3 and combat missions to it would've been like doing a "Road Warrior" mod to a truck: Cool/horrifying to a layman's fevered imagination, but not a practical use of materials to anyone who really knows the systems.

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"Transport of the mails, transport of the human voice, transport of flickering pictures - in this century, as in others, our highest accomplishments still have the single aim of bringing men together." St. Exupery

President-in-the-Shuttle reminded me of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoops_Apocalypse

(Never saw the movie, but the TV series was fantastic (to a 12 or 13 year old)).

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Measure once. Cut twice. Power tools are fun.

I want that TV series

I must say something about this CT (and no, I am not buying it either ), it's a bit more creative than the silly CT bit (usually pushed out by Moon Hoax Believers) that STS-51L was sabotaged because Christa McAuliffe refused to go along with "Big Evil NASA" claiming she could not see stars in space or something like that.

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Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

I can't believe I'm still reading this, this...thing that's been sapping my will to live for four days. Up to page 350ish right now. I swear I've been reading 150 pages of Rogers Commission transcripts interjected occasionally by the author's comments. I just want to get to the part where he blames Ronald Reagan for blowing up Challenger.

Anyone who proposes the space shuttle or any other manned orbital platform as any sort of credible space warfare asset would have his book thrown out my window.

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"Facts are stubborn things." --John Adams
Clavius Moon Base

Here's the authors website,

http://www.richardccook.com/

Based on Daryl71's descriptions, it appears that if one had removed the Rogers Commission content prior to giving it the heave-ho, it would slowly float to the ground.

BTW, I remember some letters to the editor in the New London Day shortly after the accident.

One said that the destruction was supernatural, stating that the smoke pattern left by the controlled ascent, the tank rupture, and the unleashed SRBs was obviously the same as a hand gesture which indicates the horns of the devil. Funny how those devilish Texas fans use the same secret sign.



Another stated that the shuttle was doomed since in silhouette it resembled the Taj Mahal, and as such was a symbol of a decadent society that was ripe for disaster.

Yup, the resemblance is uncanny:

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A person's name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document.

Jay, any chance you can throw the website out the window instead? Now that WOULD be worth seeing!

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The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, 'hmm.... that's funny...'
- Isaac Asimov

Are we alone in the Universe? Are we the only intelligent life? Who knows? But the universe is so BIG, it somehow seems such a waste of space if we are ....

Hey, I could have told you that t.u. fans were evil.

Gig'Em Aggies!

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Carl Matherly

Offical Battlestar Galactica Apologist

Named Time Magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year"

Read Mr. Cook's testimony before the commission on Challenger here. A notable excerpt:
He analyzed the O-ring problem from a budgetary standpoint only.

His expertise is in fiscal analysis. He apparently has no special qualification in space engineering and in my opinion has no business speaking on his own authority regarding what the space shuttle was designed to do or could be adapted to do. In my opinion he has no credible expertise in space warfare. I certainly do not recognize in him any authority.

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"Facts are stubborn things." --John Adams
Clavius Moon Base

Mr. Cook's book has already gotten two five-star reviews on Amazon.com. I suppose once I'm done reading it I'll have to trash the party, so to speak.

They probably didn't read it, why should you? :P

I must say, I find this to be a refreshingly original idea, even if it is hilariously stupid.

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i raised this question to no avail when i was confronted with "government dark matter weapons"

why BOTHER building city incinerating lasers when we already have cheap and easy to deliver nukes? what's the point? like somehow people won't notice you just wiped out an entire city.

it must be very comforting to think the government has this kind of control, knowledge and force of will.

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...the poor square has to say, "Well, I was in some other mystic dimension, called UP!" -C.S.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. -C.S.

Remember, you just have facts, you have mere facts. -worzel (said with sarcazm)

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body." -unknown

If this ever did actually happen I am pretty much certain it was swiftly followed by everyone else in the room busting out laughing and then speculating on which potent substance the person putting forth the idea had been smoking.

Putting the president in a vulnerable and highly visable vehicle flying on a predictable path with very limited maneuverability that is almost certain to pass over enemy held territory is one if the worst possible things to do to keep him safe, sticking him in an unmarked tank that stays behind the battle lines would be a far better choice (but still a Really Not Good Idea).

The first requirement of "guiding military operations" is to have clear, reliable and timely communications with your forces. Before the TDRS satellites were launched in the late '80s, spacecraft in low Earth orbit (such as the Shuttle) were out of the communications range of ground stations for significant fractions of their orbits.

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"Transport of the mails, transport of the human voice, transport of flickering pictures - in this century, as in others, our highest accomplishments still have the single aim of bringing men together." St. Exupery

I must say, I find this to be a refreshingly original idea...

Not really. The Air Force talked about a manned orbital platform in the 1960s.

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"Facts are stubborn things." --John Adams
Clavius Moon Base