Does anyone know NASA's reasoning in moving from a verticle arrangement to the side-by-side arrangement of the shuttle? Obviously the shuttle is larger than any of the Apollo capsules, but other than size, was there a basic reason for the design?

bucy wrote:

Steven Robinson, the astronaut who will attempt to pluck two thin pieces of dangling cloth from the underside of the shuttle Discovery Wednesday morning, said today that the risks of the operation are manageable and the tools are well understood.

There was a great quote in one of the Times articles the other day: "there's nothing about that system that you can't make worse by trying."

RE: Astronauts Cautious and Confident About Shuttle Repair Plan