NASA Exploring Cheaper Shuttle Replacement

A top NASA official is touting a replacement for the Space Shuttle program that would be much cheaper than the planned $35 billion Constellation program. (June 30)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• moon
• rocket
• nasa
• exploring
• cheaper
• shuttle
• replacement

[Zamolxes77]

I see, the war in Iraq cost is estimated at 600 billion, but a program to replace the shuttle is 7 to 20 billion. I wonder where we would be if 10% of war costs would be poured into space exploration.

[ttoale]

I wish I knew why AP posts the same video 2 or 3 times. Its really annoying

[TheFluffyDuck]

@silviosantoz The trouble is the moon ORBITS the earth. it would get twisted up :( Then there is the whole lack of materials problem

[EdouardDubois]

@Zamolxes77

I remember hearing that the cost of the war could have paid for several trips to Mars and back. Or one big wheel-station like there is in 2001 A Space Odyssey.

[omega4chimp]

What if their was like a space boom and everybody started to live in space that would be sweat.

[templerman1]

All of these ideas are still utilizing 20YO tech. Add to that a one for all flight system. The STS was supposed to be a fly-back booster and orbiter but Nixon wanted to win Vietnam and so STS was what NASA settled for. NASA's out of the box thinking cap needs replacing with simple reasoning. A spaceplane to take people to LEO. A reusable remote-controled fly-back X-37B like cargo ship.

[SuperKenny720]

@Zamolxes77 they already know and thats why the millitary is taking over space ecploration. Happy treking

[JustinReview]

@Zamolxes77

Cost of Stimulus and Obamacare greatly surpasses both wars combined in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[finalfanthero]

@Zamolxes77 Lol you wanna get to see the covenant sooner then expected?im joking,but its true what u say,war is retarding us really bad,with the money they have wasted on wars, we could be building colonies on mars and moon for resource exploitation right now.

[rjpugh]

This is Shuttle-C, and it was intended to be part of the STS system from the get-go. But it was cut for budget reasons. Resurrecting this idea would be an effective way to tide us over for a while. But the various problems of the STS system would still haunt us (albeit with a slightly lower human risk), so it would be at best a stop-gap.

[Raajur]

I really hate the rocket shaped shuttles. I love how the space shuttle looks, kind of like an aeroplane... hopefully they design something similar.

[InfiniteMushroom]

@ChicaWolverina YES! Finally somebody gets it!  Am I the only one who remembers Reagan as the greatest crack dealer of all time? HE was the one who introduced the U.S. to economic crack cocaine and patriotic hallucinations. While we were tripping out on Trickle Down and worshiping predatory CEO's, Reagan made Faustian deals with the Banksters.

The banksters aren't interested in space. Our manned space program was saved to be the last thing to be pawned off to pay interest on our mortgaged souls