starship-design: New Shuttle

[KellySt@aol.com]

And speaking OF a Future Shuttle, the RLV news site: <A 
HREF="http://www.hobbyspace.com/Links/RLVNews.html";>HobbySpace - Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) News
</A>
http://www.hobbyspace.com/Links/RLVNews.html


 

Had a link to the following article:
 <A HREF="http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=878";>NASA Changes The 
Focus Of Future ISS Cargo Delivery Plans | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference</A>
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=878
 

The gist? The "Alternate" access to space program has fundamentally changed. 
It is now the ASSURED access to space program and NASA has been visiting 
contractors and letting them know they are planning on retiring the Shuttle in a 
few years and they WILL require a 'Shuttle-class" cargo vehicle.

Now whether Congress will fund this requirement, or not is not yet known. The 
OTHER 'downside' of this changes is that current startups which were counting 
on supply runs to the ISS for startup missions will be pretty much dumped. 

The 'up' side of this is that Kelly's aerospace companies get to prove what 
he's been saying for years. That they are ready and willing to trot out a 
Shuttle replacement at a moments notice. (As long as NASA foots the bills :o)

What OTHER effects this will have... well we'll see....

Randy