---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 13:41:13 -0500 (CDT)
From: Gene Mechtly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Paul J. Shawcross, Ldr., G-00-021" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
"Richard H. Weinstein, Tech. Stds." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: James R. Frysinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Canadarm 2
Dear Paul and Richard,
With permission from Jim Frysinger, I am forwarding to you by
name, Jim's evaluation of distorted publicity on the Canadarm by NASA
public information officials. I hope that you will bring Jim's evaluation
to the attention of the NASA Inspector General.
I too, resent the dumbing down of technical information
(conversion of SI to non-SI) by NASA officials for release to the public,
creating the false impression that all Space Station engineering is done
in non-SI units of measurements.
Sincerely,
Eugene A. Mechtly, College of Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
.................................................
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 23:42:44 -0400
From: James R. Frysinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [USMA:12346] Canadarm 2
Dear members of NASA, CSA, and MDRobotics:
I have done some research regarding the Space Station Mobile Servicing
System (SSMSS) and mission STS-100. I found two versions of the
relevant data.
>From the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)/L'Agence Spatiale Canadienne
(ASC), in SI of course:
http://www.space.gc.ca/csa_sectors/hum_pre/english/flights/sts_100/cana
darm/ground/default.html
This describes the Canadarm 2 robotic arm built for NASA, which calls
it the Space Station Mobile Servicing System.
NASA however insists on redimensioning the arm parenthetically:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/assembly/elements/mss/index.html
Status report STS-100-02 describes the arm entirely in non-metric units:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/reports/sts100/STS-100-02.html
The Shuttle Press Kit for this mission (STS-100) is almost entirely
non-metric:
http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/STS-100/index.htm
If NASA will not provide SI units in the press kits and status reports,
then members of the media are unlikely to quote the figures in SI. If
the press media fails to report the details of the mission in SI, then
Americans will be left with the impression that the entire thing is
done in so-called "English" units. But, since the SSMSS was built in SI
units, that would be a lie and NASA would be the instigator of the lie.
Why does NASA perpetuate this lie to the American public?
If I were Canadian, especially if I were an employee of MDRobotics, I
would be very angry of being made to look as innumerate as a NASA press
officer. As an American, I am angry that NASA press officers continue
to dumb down public information releases by de-metricating them.
Haven't they read the NASA IG's recent report? Are NASA press agents
incompetent in using the SI?
Hello, hello! Earth calling NASA. Is anybody home?
James R. Fryinger
--
James R. Frysinger University/College of Charleston
10 Captiva Row Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Charleston, SC 29407 66 George Street
843.225.0805 Charleston, SC 29424
http://www.cofc.edu/~frysingj [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cert. Adv. Metrication Specialist 843.953.7644
