Another change in plans for the Shuttle successor?

[JLM]

Return to the Moon? Why? For a few more bags of rocks? Anyone could claim any other reasonable possibilities? A Moon base? Give me a break. The ISS, since its inception, is basically spending most of its time to keep the thing going, repair what is broken, being put together. For more than a decade (and it is not done). And it is "right next door", not on the Moon. Go to the Mars by 2050? Give me even more break. Yes, we have the technology that people could go there, but we don't to bring them back. Surely, there is no reason for a mission which hauls 3 people there, out of which 2 would land on Mars, collect some sand/rocks and come back. What else promising is there what some robot couldn't currently do?
Surely, they won't be able to take some vehicle, which would allow them to roam the planet for weeks, months and do some proper research. Which would aim exactly for what at this point? We safely know that there is no developed life there. So what if they find some microbe, besides some highly theoretical answer we would get? Life elsewhere exists? Whoopi doo. Then what?

In my not so humble opinion, mankind is kind of stuck on planet Earth, and while its curiosity may one day take it to Mars, even some moons of the Jupiter or Saturn, all are likely to be practical dead end streets. To think outside of our solar system at this point is science fiction. For any such serious thoughts mankind would have to INVENT a totally new means of propulsion. Unfortunately, even a near speed of light vehicle wouldn't allow much outside of our solar system exploration. Thus we can only hope for some currently unknown law of physics which one day allows mankind to travel true galactic distances.

In the meanwhile we are stuck in Earth orbit.

I feel the same way, I personally think that NASA should just focus on, right now, how to make our lives better here on Earth in space.

But anyway, more on the shuttle successor:
look at this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-34

I personally like the X-34 program. It seems more reliable to me.

Plus one con from using a capsule is the risk of the parachute system, before landing back in the ocean, failing and possibly killing all crew members upon impact.

But also, there is also the risk of the pilot crashing the spacecraft.

[gablau]

But anyway, more on the shuttle successor:
look at this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-34

I personally like the X-34 program. It seems more reliable to me.

Plus one con from using a capsule is the risk of the parachute system, before landing back in the ocean, failing and possibly killing all crew members upon impact.

But also, there is also the risk of the pilot crashing the spacecraft.

Much as I understand, the X-34 program is already canceled.

[JLM]

true it is canceled, but move it on back to the drawing board ya'll!

p.s. in ordcer to quote somebody just click the yellow colored text box button and insert the text.

[Moonwalker]

The question why we should return to the Moon is almost the same question like why should we go to space at all, or why should mankind progress at all. Why don't we go back into hollows and even stop making fire.

It is a matter of decision and curiosity. If NASA decides to go to the Moon, okay. If they don't decide to go to the Moon, okay. Even if they decide to not go into space manned anymore, also okay. Just like Wernher von Braun and many others, I also like the idea of going to the Moon and to Mars manned, and that as soon as ever possible. Eugene Kranz, Apollo 13 flight director, says: "To stop in space is to surrender." There are two kinds of technologies: those who exist, work and are available, and those who are yet fictional and do not exist, less than ever work. Not to got back to the Moon and later to Mars, because we do not have science fiction propulsion technology available, is the most unwise argumentation. By going to such places with current technology, we learn and gain new technologies. The Moon experience is not over. It was just interrupted by Nixon and the congress. The initial path of NASA was the Moon, followed by Mars until 2000. Instead, the Shuttle was quite a sad delay in manned space exploration.

Constellation is the best way NASA has chosen after the Skylab program in the 1970's.