I was reading our friend Alan Boyle's "Cosmic Log"...
http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp?0dm=L1CNT

...and he wrote about and linked to this...
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=9031

It is about the concept of using an Apollo style crew Return Vehicle. This is something
I've advocated for a long time, only not just for emergency crew return, but as our primary means
of getting people to and from low earth orbit. The concept has such significant safety advantages.

Quote from spaceref article:
"The proven Apollo Launch Escape System (LES) would be replicated for the CTV only. This system provided a large escape envelope during the initial ascent trajectory. There were numerous abort modes throughout the ascent that provided a robust approach to crew safety."

I wana lil rocket ta get people up-n-down, and a BIG dumb rocket ta put up da big chunks.
The Shuttle sucks. It's an engineering marvel but the concept sucks. I'd bet there's no shortage
of aviation museums that would be willing to shelter a Shuttle.

Regards;
Tom Charlton (looking eastward in central Florida... sigh...)