Re: Shuttle tiles and gap fillers


"Ed" <ed@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:cxmJe.13385$9K3.13233@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Martin" <nospam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:42f553ff_2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>> The only reason to keep the shuttle is to complete the ISS, which no
>> one appears to have any real interest in. The money they are wasting
>> on the ISS and shuttle fleet could be better spent on other projects.
>
> Hey, don't forget the forthcoming Hubble servicing mission. That's the
> only reason I hope the shuttle continues, at least for a while.
>
>

That's not going to take place. No way will NASA launch the Shuttle without
it being able to achieve an orbit docking with the ISS.

Looks like NASA are going to go back to a conventional rocket system. This
worked well enough when NASA ran Skylab and was a far safer system as well.
Part of the justification for the Shuttle was that it could go up and bring
satellites back to earth. Problem is no one really wants to do that. All you
really need is a crew capsule that can dock with some form of orbiting
laboratory and both Mir & Skylab did that for a fraction of the cost of the
ISS. Without the shuttle the ISS will not be able to run more than a couple
of astronauts at a time who are there to simply keep the ISS maintained.
What a joke and a complete mess.

Martin


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