RE: We can dare to dream of the stars again, if only we can achieve this small thing.
May 16, 2012 at 11:13 am
(This post was last modified: May 16, 2012 at 11:50 am by Anomalocaris.)
(May 16, 2012 at 4:00 am)Chuff Wrote: Any news on when NASA's replacement to the space shuttle will be making an appearance?
I think it is reasonable to suppose the shuttle will never be replaced. Anything intended to deliver astronaut into space in the foreseeable future will be just a capsule.
The shuttle's design and configuration was dictated by an unusual flight profile designed to facilitate an unique military photo reconnosaince mission. That mission is obsolete due to technology and geopolitical changes. Shuttle's successor will no longer need to cloak design features dictated by these military requirements in disingenuous civilian specifications, so will return to the much more economical and risk free capsule design.