Space Forum / Shuttle / November 2003

Reading the CAIB report, Volume 2, part 19 on the MADS data... it notes
that all orbiters has MADS installed, but OV-102's (Columbia) MADS system
had more instrumentation sensors configured [due to its historical
trail-blazing nature].

What I'm curious about is... is NASA planning on adding more sensors to the
MADS systems on the other orbiters, whether as a RTF pre-req or as a OMDP
item?

Especially since the CAIB strongly urged NASA to view the Orbiters as still
being experimental vehicles (which implies additional instrumentation for
data collection and analysis).

Also, are there any plans to reconfigure MADS such that it could dump the
data to the ground during a mission such as a dump through S-band or
Ku-band antennas during a quiet period?

Was curious because I know they want to do similar things for other
components to better determine if there's a real or potentially bad issue
to resolve while in orbit rather than waiting for a post-landing analysis.

Will NASA/USA beef up the workforce to have more analysts during a mission?
Wondering because they're suddenly going to have to analyze a pile of data,
quickly, and without the luxury of time.

-Dan