Time for a mini-shuttle for use with the EELVs?
It seems to me that our current best hope of lowering the cost per pound to orbit for useful payloads would be to develop a mini-shuttle for use with the EELVs.
This mini-shuttle would expand the number of launches per year for the EELVs, thus lowering their cost per launch by allowing better distirbtuion of their fixed costs. Man rating the EELVs would reduce the insurance premiums required per launch. Finally, a mini-shuttle would eliminate the huge costs needed to keep the 1960's shuttles in operation, and thus free up NASA moneys for other uses.
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