posted
I've been looking for info on the new space shuttle design that I seem to recall reading about a while back. I've looked all over nasa.gov, but I can't find anything. Anyone know where I can look?
------------------ You are wise, witty, and wonderful, but you spend far too much time reading this sort of trash.
posted
Yeah, I'd also like to know about that, the newest, foremost designs and applications of space shuttles! It appeals to me. I don't know why, everything new and revised appeals to me. Mmmm...
------------------ -At least I can get it up without biomechanical pumps. -Try falling into a pit of lava, Moffy. Then see how horny you feel.
posted
I'm also curious to know what they'll do with the current orbiters. It seems that they could leave them in orbit permanantly. With a small boost, they could probably get to the moon and back to Earth orbit easily. It'd be an interesting mission. First launch in the new shuttle. Dock with the Columbia, and transfer some people aboard. Then dock both with the ISS, to transfer the entire crew to the Columbia, get refuled, and pick up the lunar landing vehicle. The original four wouldn't have to re-enter Earth's atmosphere ever again.
------------------ You are wise, witty, and wonderful, but you spend far too much time reading this sort of trash.
The shuttle program has been remarkably useful, as far as it goes, but it has failed to live up to certain expectations. Namely, it is not the Earth-Orbit mass transit system originally hoped for.
With any luck, advances in rocketry within the next decade or so will allow the shuttles to take an early retirement.
------------------ "What did it mean to fly? A tremor in your soul. To resist the dull insistance of gravity." -- Camper Van Beethoven
posted
The space shuttle was designed to be cheap, reliabliable and reuseable shuttle to space. But we know that is not true since the amount of things that can go wrong is quite high. However, I don't think the shuttle was designed to go to the moon. Most of the time shuttles will be used to dock for a few days. It will not be a permanent residence that is what the soyuz pod is for.
------------------ "We set sail on this new sea because their is new knowledge to be gained and new rights to be won" John F Kennedy
posted
The amount of things that can go wrong when you're riding a immensely complex system on top of a giant firecracker is ALWAYS quite large, and its a testament to them that more things HAVEN'T gone badly.
And actually, the shuttle DID bring down the Earth-to-orbit price considerably, just not quite enough.
And no, shuttles weren't supposed to go to the Moon. They WERE supposed to go to our Space Station, and Skylab, but lost that function when Congressional dithering and constant redesigns delayed first the Shuttle (causing the loss of Skylab) and then the Station itself.
------------------ "Nobody knows this, but I'm scared all the time... of what I might do, if I ever let go." -- Michael Garibaldi
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