The shuttles replacement unveiled

[Rafterman]

A total waste of money , but it's your money not mine , and if you want to see social programs suffer through lack of funding then that's good too , because ultimately it'll be you who suffers .

Perhaps you should compare US spending on social programming vs the space program before making such comments.

[The Caspian Hare]

Please, NASA's budget is tiny compared to the social services, which accomplish far less with far greater amounts of money... NASA is not taking a cent away from starving poor people.

[Mr Supertypo]

social services are not a waste, but there isnt any future in social spendings.

NASA on the other hand, develop tecnologies, advances science, and create jobs. Jobs are made for workers, technicians, engierneers, sceintist and others. Tecnologies that will be used around the world will be developed (remember the tech advancement based on the moon missions) and unique science work will be done.

Sorry peopl. There isnt any comparission, NASA IS NEEDED. Perhaps if we invested more in space, we could have avoided or lessened the econ-crisis?

About chemical rockets, there isnt any alternative....rockets is what we have, if we have to develop something totally new or revolutionary decades will pass. So for now rockets are the best of the best.

[Czero 101]

This looks like Atlas V or Delta IV pumped up this 2011 not 1967 enough with stupid dangeous rockets lets move on to something better and safer how about a vehicles with a force field to replace the heat shield something new please and different.

Considering that "force fields" do not yet exist in any way that could be used as a practical solution as you are requesting, the more logical thing to do is what NASA is doing, leverage current proven technology and design a new vehicle based on it.

I like this design far better than "The Stick". Though putting the engines at the bottom of the fuel tanks is going to be interesting to see how they do it.

Where else would you put them? You do know that pretty much every liquid-fueled rocket design has the engines underneath the fuel tanks, right?

I am glad to see that NASA are using the design of a previous successful rocket, the Saturn was a great rocket, and is still used in many parts of the world. Though all they seem to have done to it is add 2 SRB's to the Side. Despite the fact that the Saturn V has 5 SRB's.

Uhm... the Saturn V was a liquid-fueled rocket. It had no SRB's (Solid Rocket Boosters) at all.

Chemical rockets arent going to open up our solar system. Lets faace it once a engine is made to go interplanetary the whole game changes. Chemicals rockets can only do so much. We need trips to the planets that take days not months or years. Nasa should be focused on the next technology and a spaceship. Capsules and Apollo again after 40 years seems stagnate at best.

This launch system and the Orion capsule is paving the way for longer duration trips, including ones to Mars and to the Asteroid Belt. That they superficially resemble the Apollo hardware is just a testament to the solid design of those vehicle. The design was very successful 40 years ago, and with newer technology being implemented, the current designs have the potential to be just as, if not more successful than Apollo's designs. Apollo was cutting edge at the time, and Orion will be cutting edge when it flies as well.

A total waste of money , but it's your money not mine , and if you want to see social programs suffer through lack of funding then that's good too , because ultimately it'll be you who suffers .

Well Troll... er... Trog... the only "waste" here is that of the time it took the read your uninformed, ignorant post. I want those 5 seconds back...

Cz

Edited September 17, 2011 by Czero 101

[Rafterman]

Not to mention, any type of deep space engine will more than likely be assembled in orbit and we'll probably use good old fashioned chemical rockets to get the parts up there.

There's a reason the USS Enterprise never landed.

[Trog]

I'm very happy with the replies , out of 98000 members only 19 are interested enough to want this program to continue ..... The numbers speak for themselves ..... But it's nice to see some very small , some infinitesimal amount of dedication .... I hope you get what you want .

[Bavarian Raven]

19 are interested enough to want this program to continue

i want it to continue XD

[Mr Supertypo]

I'm very happy with the replies , out of 98000 members only 19 are interested enough to want this program to continue ..... The numbers speak for themselves ..... But it's nice to see some very small , some infinitesimal amount of dedication .... I hope you get what you want .

Yes hopefully. Usefull programs with a bright future should get the go ahead, even if 98000 or 2000000 ignorant people are against.

beside only a handfull are against.

Think about that, how much development you get from social programs contra space? Hint a black hole that sucks money. So Yes to space all the way along :-D

[DONTEATUS]

I like this design far better than "The Stick". Though putting the engines at the bottom of the fuel tanks is going to be interesting to see how they do it.

And as for the "Nay" posts. All I have to say is , " This is Reality , not T.V.!"

NASA knows what works THe Stick is Back !

[Dom3434]

Nasa unveils Space Launch System vision

Quote: "Nasa's top official, General Charles Bolden, hails the beginning of the post-shuttle era

The design for a huge rocket to take humans to asteroids and Mars has been unveiled by the US space agency Nasa.

The Space Launch System (SLS), as it is currently known, will be the most powerful launcher ever built - more powerful even than the Saturn V rockets that put men on the Moon.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-14915725

Quiet incredible actually. although for a mars exploration they might need to figure out a way to make artificial gravity "they are in the prosses of testing". can't wait to see when all this will come into play!