JazzMan wrote in :

I was reading another post that indicated that the Shuttle
program is going to be ended in 6, maybe 7 years tops, and
it occurred to me to wonder, what will replace it?

CEV, also called Project Constellation.

I've not
heard of any concrete programs to replace the Shuttle, and
since it would take at least ten years to get something up
and running it's going to be at least 2004-2005 before that
replacement actually happens, if at all.

You probably meant to write 2014, not 2004, and you're right. CEV is
planned to make its first manned flights in 2014.

That leaves a good
four to five (if not more) gap where we won't have the ability
to launch anything anywhere. Does that mean that ISS will
be decommissioned and deorbited at that point since there
won't be any way to service it or, more importantly, reboost
it? If that is the case, why bother finishing it?

No, it means that the US will be depending on its international partners
(or commercial vehicles, if available) to carry crews to ISS during the
gap. The US plans to stay in the ISS program until 2016.

--
JRF

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