From: "John Beamish" 

Oops ... hit "send" too soon.  See additional comments below.

>
> How many shuttle missions carry sensitive satellites?
>
I'm sure you have the exact numbers.  My guess?  In the initial years of
the program it was the majority (possibly the vast majority) with senstive
satellites.  These days?  Probably less than half since the remaining
construction of the ISS still has a number of components that need
launching and there's no other US way to launch and dock (unlike the
Russian approach of two different launch vehicles).

>
>> As for the heavy-lift vehicles ... so?  There's not a single mil use of
>> a Saturn V that I can recall in recent years so Saturn-style heavy-lift
>> is nice but is covered by a wide variety of other launch vehicles.
>>
>
> How much did Saturn V help with rocket engine design which then lead to
> global reach SLBM'es & quick response ICBM'es etc?
>
The kinds of thrust delivered by the Saturn V far exceeded anything the US
mil needed and, as was pointed out, the Dynasoar (which might have needed
it) was never seriously funded by the pols.


> Part of the reason for the Shuttle "solid fuel boosters" was
that these
> were an effect of the minuteman/trident spend.
>

Eactly ... an effect of.  The Minuteman/Trident spend came first.  And is
still coming.

>> The fascination of Brazil, Ukraine and others with civie space efforts
>> is interesting but unimportant.
>
> To you. Not to Brazil & the Ukraine. Either than or all deterrence is
> interesting but unimportant. Both can create Nukes fast & both are
> maintaining an active "space launch capability".
>

You have mistaken my position.  I was referring to offensive capability. As
for defensive: sure it's very nice to have.  And if you were going to
attach Brazil or the Ukraine what would be your first targets:  coffee
plantations and wheat fields?


>
>> About 75,000 containers go through US
>> ports daily.  A GPS, a nuke and a container are much better.  Total
>> deniablilty too since there's no missle track to give yourself away.
>>
>
> & that helps you fend off an attack from the US/Russia/China/India etc
> how exactly?
>

Again, I was looking at the offensive capability not the defensive one.


> Adam

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5