Shuttle/Space Policy Historical Development (Was: What good is the Shuttle?)

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:20:37 -0500, Jorge R. Frank wrote:

Pat Flannery wrote:

Smaller payload, smaller cargo bay, no SRBs.

Eliminate the cargo bay altogether, shrink the overall vehicle
appropriately, give it an X-plane number and a set of flight test
objectives, and I'm sold.

No no no... a small cargo bay specifically for
dealing with cargo-handling gear, issues, and
tests... stuff that future commercial,
exploration, or military craft will have to
deal with.

No satellites or other "outside" experiments
that will "make or break" any particular
mission... just X-cargo

--
Chuck Stewart
"Anime-style catgirls: Threat? Menace? Or just studying algebra?"

Jorge R. Frank wrote:

Eliminate the cargo bay altogether, shrink the overall vehicle
appropriately, give it an X-plane number and a set of flight test
objectives, and I'm sold.


FDL 5:
http://www.hitechweb.szm.sk/liftingb...s/image027.jpg
http://www.hitechweb.szm.sk/liftingb...files/FDL1.jpg
http://www.hitechweb.szm.sk/liftingb...files/FDL3.jpg
http://www.hitechweb.szm.sk/liftingb...files/FDL2.jpg

Pat