2001 March 10
NASA has done it again. The shuttle docked to the space station last night.
They used feet and feet per second. No metric. The crews talked in feet.
The public announcer used feet. The digital display in the control room of
the
approach showed feet: distance and speed: 402.5 and -5.13 with no units
shown. The public announcer added the units in reading the numbers.
Pity the poor Russian crew. NASA serves them badly.
It seems that when NASA says they use SI they mean that somewhere in NASA
they may use SI but they do not mean they use no inch-pound.
Maybe we should have less talk of "Use SI" and instead say "Never use
inch-pound."
Or go another way. Say "Always use SI". Perhaps Congress should stop
saying
"SI is preferred" and say "Always use SI".
Robert Bushnell
