Next Generation Space Shuttles

zymano writes "Popular Science has an article about the next generation space shuttles. If you're wondering about what happened to all those cool ideas for a new shuttle and what happened to them then this story will explain it. Mentions the politics, design, costs and time for a new shuttle." There's some neat images of mockups as well.

Comments

Simple explanation why there is no new shuttle.

[Krapangor]

The space shuttle is basically the product of a technological penis length contest between the US and Soviet Russia.
Ironically both sides managed only to get the half project done - they wanted a space station (SU got that) with a high tech shuttle system (US got that). Don't mention Buran here - the Russian admitted themselves that they just copied the shuttle.

However the cold war is gone and the US is the only super power left. There are some on the rise - China, EU, Islam - , but it will take some time until the got the super power status.
So there is no need to show the own and forgein people that the US has indeed the biggest dick.
If someone doesn't believe this, hey, we can just invade them !
So NASA is in bad luck for some time now.
If they are really clever (but moralically perverted) they would sponsor the education of Chinese/EU PhD students got shorted the period of unchallenged US dominance.