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NASA Eyes Shuttle Replacements

Posted by chrisd on from the big-rubber-bands-are-not-under-consideration dept.

jonerik writes "According to this article at Space.com, NASA yesterday released a status report on the first year of NASA's Space Launch Initiative; the search for a space shuttle replacement, currently planned to begin operating ten years from now. The competing contractors - Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and a team consisting of Northrop Grumman and Orbital Sciences Corp. - have their work cut out for them. NASA is looking for both a ten-fold improvement in per-pound launch costs (from $10,000 per pound to $1,000) and massive improvements in crew survivability." In related news, Rubyflame writes: "Aviation Now has a story about four new kerosene-fueled rocket engines being developed by Aerojet, Pratt & Whitney, Rocketdyne, and TRW. These are engines that will produce a million pounds of thrust, intended to outdo Russian designs in reliability and launch cost, and one of them may power a new reusable launch vehicle. Kerosene has the advantage that it's denser than hydrogen, so the fuel tanks can be smaller."

9 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Carthago delendo esset! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Carthago delendo esset!

  2. safe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    massive improvements in crew survivability

    uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

  3. Sligshot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    they need like a big ass slingshot and stuph to shot ppls up into space and crap cuz that woul dbe 1337 or sumthin..heheh why am i replying? i dunoo.....blwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
    hehe

  4. Re:Haiku by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Oh my god, what kind of monster have I created?

    I've opened the haiku box, and now, there's no way to stuff the verse back inside...

    Oh, the humanity!!!

  5. Re:I'm really getting bored of Slashdot... by Linuxthess · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Mod this guy up, He sure knows his shit, Oh do it, God Damn It!!!

    --

    I sig, therefore I was.
  6. Re:Haiku by MrHat · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    There once was a posting to Slashdot
    By a man wielding plus two who dare not
    Make plus one the score
    Of his posting, a door
    Away from his boredom and skull-rot

  7. A sonnet for your bonnet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    On Slashdot you'll find it is read
    quite rarely amidst the trolls
    a well thought out piece regarding article said.
    Much more likely the goat man's bowels.

    In Your Rights Online we puport to discuss
    matters of such great importance
    like stealing from musicians and mocking their fuss
    and offering piddling forms of recompense.

    One thing that we argued was fees
    "Not to save us!" they claimed, but were lying
    The topics of late have been generally sleaze.
    Let's face it. Slashdot is dying.

  8. Re:Reminds me of this: by SkyLeach · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I had to post the moderations on this:

    Moderation Totals: Offtopic=1, Funny=3, Overrated=1, Underrated=2, Total=7.

    And yet, my Karma went up... 2 points.

    "Math? I don't need no stinkin' math!." - /. coder #218

    --
    My $0.02 will always be worth more than your â0.02, so :-p
  9. Re:Check out those concept animations. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Just look at submarines - long, hard, and full of seamen.