"Peter Altschuler" wrote in message
om...
According to the President's new space initiative plan, the space
shuttle would be retired after completion of the space station. How
could we expand the station without the shuttle? How could we rotate
logistic modules without the shuttle?

I think by the time the station is complete we could build a couple of new
vehicles. One would basically be a CRV type vehicle launched on an
expendable for crew rotation. The other would be something like the MPLM's
that can stay on orbit for an extended time and then be de-orbited and
recovered with the contents inside. Any new modules to expand the station
would be designed to be launch from an expendable.

The way I see it, we have at least another 5 to 10 years worth of STS
missions to get the station to completion. So there is plenty of time for
the designers to design/re-design any modules that will be going up post
"completion".

Anyway, there's my quick thoughts on it.

Jason