NASA Scraps Shuttle And Returns to Rockets

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?"

Comments

Re:Mars?

[aurb]

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.

'Bout Time!

[Zen Punk]

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...

Re:Mars?

[The Wooden Badger]

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.

Re:Capsules?

[theonetruekeebler]

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.