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Originally Posted by EricH
I'd be willing to say that NASA is looking at new designs for a shuttle, if they haven't started already.
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Last I heard they were pretty serious with the X-33 / Venture Star but that was dropped a few years back... I'm sure they have plenty of ideas... but as far as I know, nothing is close to being built, tested, and flight-ready by the Shuttle Fleet's swiftly approaching "expiration date" in 2010.
After a little research... the CEV is the closest project... due for unmanned flight in 2014... which kind of puts a damper on finishing the ISS or going back to the Moon/humans on Mars like Bush wants to. [Especially if the Shuttles remain grounded.]
I heard NASA plans to speed up the CEV timeline... but that just doesn't sound like such a good idea to me... since when you rush... accidents usually happen... and we don't really want metric-english system conversion problem when people are involved. [for example the lost mars polar lander]
Crossing my fingers [and toes] for NASA though.
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Not sure how this additional bit on news will pan out... but apparently a 10th planet has been found.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3511678.stm
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Whoa yeah... sorry for sparking off some strong emotions here... I probably could have phrased some things differently. I apologize.
I was just using the Polar-Lander as an example of a mistake that in hindsight is kinda goofy when you think about it... like 80's hairstyles... [Although it would not have been goofy if humans had been onboard the lander]
I am TOTALLY pro-NASA... Complete space-geek since my parents took us down to KSFC to see Discovery roll out for the first flight after the Challenger was lost. And it's only grown with 2 trips to US Space Camp / MSFC, Meeting Alan Bean, Seeing the Enterprise Shuttle in DC, and watching / reading about all on NASA's work... from Mars Rovers and micro-gravity grown protein crystals to Memory Foam and Tang. [Mmmm Tang... now that brings back some fond memories of childhood]