[ATM] Re: PE fault

["David Harbour" <scarab2@cox.net>]

Vladimir,

The only kind of test at center of curvature that cannot "tell a lie" is
Foucault. There is no tiny lens to mislocate by a millimetre or two in the
test set up.

Traditionally, opticians use TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT KINDS OF TESTS before
turning loose of their mirror; one test to validate the other. Besides the
all reflective null test, what other tests did the PE opticians use? I have
read reams about what happened; but no mention of Hartmann, Cuastic, null
autocollimation, etc., et.,. (very much whining about not being able to
afford a 92" flat, though). Did I miss some publication that told what the
SECOND TEST was they used to validate their darling chiild, the all
reflective null test? What did I miss? I thought they used ONE test. Unheard
of for a large expensive instrument. And if they did use another, well known
different test, and things still turned out the way they did, well, then,
shame on them.

'course, maybe I missed something. What other test did they use, or did
they, indeed, "Put all their eggs in one basket"?

'course, you've heard the newest excuse: the mirror changed shape because it
went from one gee to zero gee (after passing through four gees). Ha!, ha!
One for the books!

Dave

P.S.- By the way, I agree with you: there are some other, dramatic
precedents: R-101 and Challenger. So, you are at least approximately right,
Vladimir. Too bad there wasn't some clean up boy who happened to be an atm
there, in the hanger, and caught it with his old #5 before they stuffed it
into the space shuttle.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vladimir Galogaza" <vladimir.galogaza@zg.htnet.hr>
To: "David Harbour" <scarab2@cox.net>
Cc: "ATM List" <atm@atmlist.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 2:03 PM
Subject: PE fault


> >Autocollimation allows null figuring, which even brain dead PE opticains
> can
> >do
>
> I think that PE opticians are not to be blamed. It was agreement between
PE
> and  NASA management
>  to cut cost on the ground of false speculation that test which indicated
> problem was insignificant.
> To blame opticians would be unfair.
>
> Vladimir.
>
>
>
> -- 
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>


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