Jorge R. Frank wrote:
"Kim Keller" wrote:
"Jorge R. Frank" wrote:
To reduce the technical and schedule risk for Spiral 2, by giving US
design teams more experience. Spiral 1 is not intended to result in an
"operational" vehicle.

Wellll, yeah, Spiral 1 is an operational ETO transport.

Some people still believe that it will be, at least. The tea leaves I'm
reading say otherwise.

The specification is reasonably clear. It has to be an operational
Earth to Orbit transport.

Whether it is intended to be *used* for operational Earth to Orbit
transport of people to say Space Station, is an open question.

I suspect that the ISS resupply / crew transport people and
Exporation Systems aren't seeing eye to eye on this.
Or, at least, haven't succeeded in requiring that CEV S-1
be The Station Transport.

This is actually sort of annoying on one level, but it leaves
the map open for commercial transports as well.


-george william herbert