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NASA Scraps Shuttle And Returns to Rockets

Posted by Zonk on from the you'll-be-missed-old-girl dept.

nathanh writes "NASA is building a launch system that they've informally dubbed Apollo On Steroids. It's a hybrid design of the Apollo capsules and the Shuttle's booster rockets and engines. Crew and cargo are lifted by two different rockets: the crew use a single-booster/single-engine rocket and the cargo is lifted by an awe-inspiring two-booster/five-engine rocket. NASA reckons this craft will take humanity back to the Moon and then to Mars. Has NASA realised that the old designs were better? Or is this all a ploy to recapture the hearts of the public?"

6 of 553 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Mars? by aurb · · Score: 5, Funny

    All their muscle mass will be gone, but they'll get there.

    Unless they order the astronauts to have sex during the flight... Oh wait.

  2. 'Bout Time! by Zen+Punk · · Score: 5, Funny

    We're returning to rockets, you say?

    Well it's about damn time. I'm sure it'll beat the pants off all those rubber bands we've been using in the mean time...

    --
    Sleep is futile.
  3. Re:Mars? by The+Wooden+Badger · · Score: 5, Funny

    Personally I'm in favor of 50 G acceleration, a la Dragonball Z. That way we get Super Sayan astronauts out of the deal. Explore space and protect Earth all from one project.

    --
    Heroscape, it's like legos combined with anachronistic wargames.
  4. Re:Capsules? by theonetruekeebler · · Score: 5, Funny
    I misread your statement as "NASA Scraps Shuttle And Returns to Catapults ." I was fully prepared to write six paragraphs slamming the U.S. government's non-military budget cutbacks. I continued with a rant about how the spring tensions would be uncontrollable and that we should use some peak in the Andes as the pivot for a gigantic trebuchet.

    Please don't post to Slashdot until I've had more coffee.

    --
    This is not my sandwich.
  5. Re:More like a ploy... by hey! · · Score: 3, Funny

    Boss: Good news! We're giving you a ten percent raise!

    You: Excellent! Wait till I tell Fred!

    Boss: Ah, well, bad news. We let Fred go and you're going to have his job too.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  6. Re:Finally.... by bhiestand · · Score: 3, Funny
    BTW: NASA can't even afford original conceptual art anymore!

    Their art department is still over budget from that whole moon landing hoax. But I'll agree, even the moon landing was rather unoriginal.
    --
    SWM seeks new sig for a brief fling