Not to be picky, but isn't space a very cold place. If it dies the
first day of winter down here, why would it last up there?
"The Space Shuttle cannot compromise. All equipment aboard must be
top notch. The ordinary standard is extraordinary quality.
To qualify for certification, technology must pass ruthless trials.
Obviously, only the most precise, reliable products are adopted after
this ordeal. It is no surprise, then, that the OM-4 and several OM
System components will soon be literally out of this world.
Virtually the same equipment that professional and amateur
photographers use every day is already scheduled for manned flight on
the Space Shuttle.
This distinction did not come easily, however. Grueling tests on
performance were comprehensive, including operation in a vacuum,
stress resistance and electromagnetic interference output. But even
with standards and scrutiny of the Aerospace Scientific Photographic
Laboratory, the Olympus equipment was certified with only one slight
external change - silver tape approved by NASA rather than imitation
leather body covers.
Not only testimony to the quality of the design, this rugged
performance has saved the U.S. space program many thousands of
dollars by eliminating the extensive modifications that SLRs on
previous journeys required. Other Olympus equipment is currently
undergoing testing for flight certification. And if the past is any
guide, it will offer still more cause to praise the OM System to the
skies."
From Pursuit vol. 4 no. 4, 1985
Someone with contacts high up please call NASA and tell them to bring
a 1(n) instead.
Henrik Dahl
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