I understand the disappointment. But I think the CAIB was right that the Shuttle is still an experimental vehicle and that NASA was kidding itself and us that it was operational. In retrospect, that illusion probably cost at least a decade, because acknowledging that the Shuttle was experimental would have made it easier to get serious sooner about a second generation vehicle. Calling it operational took off the pressure to develop a replacement.
The way things are now, a simple capsule design might well be the pragmatic answer because it could be the quickest route to reestablish routine LEO operations. Seems to me, too, that it might make the powers that be more receptive to private designs like your Gemini-descendent, and maybe that's a silver lining to the dark cloud. It looks like a sweet little design and I'd like to see it fly.
Ah well, whatever...I want us flying again, with or without wings.
Space/Science » in reply to re: The capsule
re: The capsule
The whole thread (27 posts)
- The capsule
- will it be reusable?
- Great idea! Back to the sixties when space was safe enuf for chimp pilots!
- Unlike what the article implied, capsules don't have to come down in water
- re: The capsule
- re: The capsule