Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Doug and Keith shouldn't have to sign off.

Exactly

Right, MaryAnne.

E.P., don't take my offer as a sign that I'm on your side. In fact, I think you are almost certainly wrong about the explosive bolts. I doubt very much I'll need to write that letter.

If you are right and the crew compartment can survive descent on its own, and remain aerodynamically stable enough that the crew can crawl around in it, and if NASA already knows how to fit explosive bolts as you say, then sure, why not also include a self-contained "safe to bailout" indicator in the hatch, which is what I think you mean. If you were to spend the money to retrofit shuttles with the cabin sep system, adding an LED in the door that turns green below an altitude of 50,000 feet would be something you could just about do with spare change and Radio Shack parts.

But again, I think it very, very unlikely that such a system existed, or that the crew compartment could survive if you did separate it.

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