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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?"

3 of 553 comments (clear)

  1. They've had their ups & downs... by Hecateus · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Uppers, downers, now steroids be astronaughty stuff. :o

  2. Web 2.0! Ajax! The Long Tail! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I think that we will get to mars via the long tail semantic web 2.0.

    I guess this is a bit off topic, but when the world is connected by a wide web it will enable maximization of eyeball dollars.

  3. Re:Did You Know? by Lumpy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    When you don't know what technology will be like in even 10 years, how can you possibly plan 35 years ahead?

    I do, the useful technology in 10 years will be the computers that are made in the next 3 years, and they will be a very hot commodity. Anything current in 10 years will only be useful for consumer appliance use due to the mandated and federally controlled DRM systems that are required. any operating system that does not have havy DRM installed is illegal and only used by terrorists. Old versions of linux will be used and newer linux and other operating systems that are actively developed in secret and used in the computing underground are also used. many CS students hide a 8-10 year old laptop or pc for their real research while they work on their sanctioned and approved projects during the day. Learningn and use of low level laguages are also forbidden and usually will get you in jail under suspicion of terrorism. (hacking and cracking = terrorism due to the new global patriot act of 2011)

    Although major advances in encryption melded with stenaography will happen in parallel with the underground OS and software design in an attempt to hide and forbidden research.

    Think I'm being funny? the current direction of global politics points to this.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.