Will the Shuttle ever fly again?

They've now found more cracks in the foam on the ET and can't explain them. And they're now saying that there's little likelihood that the May 2006 flight will go ahead.

I notice Griffin quoted as saying that he never wants another NASA program that costs $4.5 billion per year to run and doesn't fly a damn thing during the year.

Will we ever again, see a Shuttle riding it's tail of fire into the heavens? No matter what you think about the technology and the pro's and con's for the whole STS program, there's really something quite awe-inspiring watching that machine take off.

Perhaps we could have a poll?

I could live without another shuttle flight ever happening again. Question is, are they capable of doing anything else more productive with all that money? I wonder sometimes.

It's amazing to see the shuttle.. if it it's not money related.. or technological point of view only.... I think it's a really great vehicle, and looking very cool.

But for me.. it's not worth the money... Make some prizes to spur private developments, imagen 1 billion us$ a year in 50 or so diffrent prizes... (with second and 3rd place winners as well).
We'll have a multi billion private space industry, reaching orbit as well... in less than a decade (2015) with many people in orbit and the moon very close as vecation resort (for the rich).. but maybe.. even without such government money.. we'll reach that point in 2015

My feelings about the shuttle are complicated as I believe are most people's when thinking about this amazing machine.

On one hand I think that the shuttle has been holding NASA back for decades, its constant demands on the space agency budget has made it almost impossible to develop an alternative. Even now at the end of its life it is still causing financial problems. More than anything it is a political football thats support over the years has been derived more from vested interests of various US states, politicians (of both parties) and corporations who see it as a permanent meal ticket.

All that said it is still an incredible vehicle, the only one of its kind, which has unmatched capabilities (launching a Hubble mission would be unthinkable without it). I watched Discovery's launch live on the internet and felt moved when it reached orbit, thinking that the space program was up and running again.

The shuttle will fly again, though probably not the full 19 flights that are being spoken about at the moment. When it eventually retires I for one will be a little sad to see it go but will know that it should have made way for the next generation of vehicles long ago. Its the closest man has ever come to producing a real spacecraft something like those I used to read about in science fiction novels.

I always thought the shuttle was a kludge compared to the elegant looking Saturn V. We need a simpler smaller machine for the next reusable vehicle. For heavy lift we should stick with expendable boosters until reusability has been perfected on the smaller, simpler, cheaper craft.

Hi Andy Hill.
I agree with you on mixed feelings however the US Shuttle although being the only one in existence today and the only one to go into regular (using that term advisedly ) service, the Russians had a shuttle as well called the Buran. This was very similar to the US Shuttle except that it had only small engines for in-orbit maneuvers and rode piggy back on a launcher. Two were built, one flew and successfully landed once however no further development occurred due to lack of funding. No Buran exists today.

Here's a link for basic info':

http://www.marscenter.it/eng/veicolinavetteburan.htm

The hydrogen engines were under the ET, so they had an HLLV whether or not the orbiter was the payload.
www.buran.ru
www.k26.com/buran
also at www.astronautix.com and the real space section of www.starshipmodeler.net
(See the REAL Space Modeling section and the Buran vs. Dyna-Soar thread--lots of links to toys and flying model rockets based on Buran--models available at www.squadron.com IIRC.)

http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery10/dt_buran.htm

Yet more links:

Nice Models
http://www.cardmodels.net/forum/showthr ... ight=Buran
http://www.cardmodels.net/forum/showthr ... ight=Buran

I wonder if it would go with this:
http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery10/dt_buran.htm

HLLV
http://www.lhvcc.com/egiftshop/cevton02 ... 110005.jpg

Take a look at this schedule:



Misc
http://www.geocities.com/bobandrepont/spacepdf.htm

Private initiative:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums ... 58&posts=8 Andrews

Back to topic--SDLV schedule:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums ... 1&posts=91

More problems for the shuttle

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/s ... 208o2leak/