"BTW, what vehicle besides the Shuttle is capable of launching this 27,000 pound truss plus 7 astronauts to ISS for assembly and bring the astronauts home along with desent cargo from ISS? Not up on rocket capacities but don't know of one currently working and was just wondering."

Why didn't you add "launches at Canaveral, lands at Canaveral or California, and has replaceable tiles on it's nose.

I'll bet that without the Shuttle, that truss assembly (it does look complex) could have been done with existing launch vehicles and assembled from the ISS. Less expensively.

I mean, if they had to do it that way, I have every confidence in their ability to figure it out.

Arf