On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 20:20:49 -0400, John Doe wrote:

Rene Altena wrote:
How do you qualify the russian Buran spacecraft (even though it is out of
service)?

Buran is history. There are no plans to fly it again. (what is the
status of the Buran that was in the hangar whose roof collapsed ?).

Deceased. Nothing more than broken bits.

There are still two part complete Buran Shuttles out there. One in
Moscow and one in Germany.

And because its name was/is "Buran", it wouldn't have been confused with
the NASA "Shuttle".

Unless someone looked at it. ;-]

The NASA shuttle may be grounded, but as of now, there are still plans
to make it fly.

NASA has little choice in that. Congress would not allow them to
cancel the only US manned space launch system, until a replacement
system is available.

For example. If the CEV turns out to be an unworkable disaster, then
NASA would indeed have to use the Shuttle beyond 2010.

Once NASA announces that Shuttles no longer will flty,
they become museum pieces and are no longer considered functional. They
become part of history. At that point, the word "shuttle" becomes more
generic and not so closely associated with the OV-10* vehicles operated
by NASA, unless you are associated with one of the museums that exhibit
one such vehicle.

The word "shuttle" was never owned by NASA. The correct term I guess
is the "US Space Shuttle". So the Americans will have to lump the idea
if they ever call this EU/Russian project the "Kliper Space Shuttle".

Klipper is more likely to retain its name when it flies as opposed to
being called "shuttle".

Kliper is the Russian project name. The term "shuttle" describes the
function of a vehicle. I have no idea if they will ever put these two
words together.

Same for CEV if it is ever built. Soyuz has retained its name over the
years.

And the US Space Shuttle had no other name.

It just so happens that NASA called its OV10* vehicles "Shuttles".

That can happen. Many people can also catch the "shuttle" to work.

In fact in my town there is a bus "shuttle service" running between
the town center and Europe's largest shopping complex.

As long as the NASA space Shuttle is scheduled to fly, the word
"shuttle" will be closely associated with the NASA Space Shuttle (STS).

Only in the USA.

Cardman.