On 2 Aug 2006 13:17:28 -0700, wrote:


wrote:
This vehicle will land on a runway like the shuttle, right? I wish NASA
would go this route--a scaled-down version of the shuttle--rather than
go backwards to Apollo.


NASA is actually working with SpaceDev to develop a small HL-20-derived
space plane as one of the COTS program proposals:

http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/temp...le.php?pid=542

Somewhat similar to the Soviet Spiral space plane, but the Dream
Chaser looks much bigger:
http://www.buran.ru/images/jpg/model1.jpg

(this has annoying music!)
http://www.buran.ru/htm/str126.htm

The MAKS concept looked interesting. Here's a mock-up:
http://www.buran.ru/images/jpg/maxokb2.jpg

--
Kulvinder Singh Matharu

Website : www.metalvortex.com
Contact : www.metalvortex.com/contact/