SpaceDock questions

[Robert Comsol]

It's your atmospheric nonsense that has no basis in onscreen fact.

We've seen workbees operate in an atmosphere. You're the only one claiming they can't.

This obviously refers to the cargo deck loading scene in TMP.
A look at the actual statement from Andrew Probert ("The idea is that shuttles would normally take off from and land in the landing bay") does not suggest that tractor beams or ship generated antigrav fields were involved.

If that applies to shuttles it probably also applies to workbees.

Bob

 

[Nightfall to-Ennien]

Yes, and when an engineer can find a way to economically develop a utility craft that can function effectively in both planetary and space environments, he does so.

And is promptly fired for creating a product that won't sell.

The US is, as we speak, throwing billions of dollars into the F-35 Lightning II, a fighter fundamentally compromised by the space requirements of the lift-fan system one variant uses for STOVL capability. We've seen self-contained antigravs the size of clothes irons in TOS, I see no reason why a general-purpose utility vehicle/equipment control cab wouldn't incorporate the same kind of equipment to expand it's operational regime from one specific environment to, effectively, all environments.