[FPSPACE] Times in space and the duration of shuttle missions...

[Rui Manuel e Castro da Silva Barbosa]

Dear friends,

I know that this questions doesn't has the importance of some subjects that
hare here debated about the actual moment in space flight, but for some,
like me who wants to have the perfect statistics about spaceflight, this is
a question that put some problems in my statistics.

Well, has we know, and by definition, an Earth day has the duration of about
24 hours. But, in reality, an Earth day is 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. In
my database all space missions durations are with the 24 hour format. With
so many missions now the 4 minute difference can be vey significant.

I just want to know your opinion about this ( ... or do you think that I
should go to a psychiatrist???? :) ).

Othet question that I have is about the space shuttle missions. We star to
count the duration of the mission with the SRB's ignition ... shouldn't we
stop the count with the weels stop? Or just stop with the shuttle touchdown?

... ok, ok!!! I will search for my medicine!!!

Greetings from Portugal to all!!!!!!


Rui C. Barbosa, Braga, Portugal