Would you ride the shuttle??

I wonder would it be better to go back to saturn5 type launch vehicles the ares is meant to be the next rocket for the lunar missions...think payload is the problem with rockets do..as the soyuz cant carry as much as ths shuttle...ye linking up with private sector could be an idea....the amount of Kelly johnsons or werhner von brauns are proably scarce now people are to dependent on computers and technology for designs

Tony,
I know what you're saying about how in the good old days, it was wit and sheer hard work that got the first large-scale rockets off the ground. But don't forget, when they were designing them with new materials in mind, they thought they were at the height of their civilisation. Today, we have stronger yet lighter materials to build larger rockets to carry bigger payloads into space. I think it is all about curiosity. The whole debate about whether to send a man to Mars instead of robots is because of the whole "I want to explore, seek, and find" mantra that makes us who we are, I guess. Relying on computer technology shouldn't be considered a bad thing, it should be considered as changing with the times.

Seanie.

Ye i see your point seanie.....i suppose what ever they will build it will be made with the best technology availible ie avionics,composits and design
i think the intrest just aint there at government levels because of the cost personally i dont see a manned mission to mars/lunar i do an i think it would rekindle the intrest in space an exploration again

I agree with you about the lack of rekindled interest. I'd say they're thinking let the Chinese/Japs/Indians do it, we've been there done that (well, about the Moon any way). Most of America's budget is on miliary spending, which puts NASA down the list somewhat (even though when you go back to the 50's, NASA was born out of the military!).

Seanie.

Think its a shame....maybe when bush is gone the military budget might be cut some what!! ye id say the americans would love to be the first too mars but i think it will be an international effort if it happens which would be a good thing funding wise

Id say during the apollo era was sometime to be living in america even houstan...im restricted to books & dvds I suppose :roll:

I would have said in the past that private enterprise was a dangerous thing with regard to spacecraft construction - but then I remembered that that was probably the reason we have had accidents in the past (the lowest bidder gets the contract for the capsule wiring?)
The profit motive might be the only thing to drive space exploration in the future - I would still be too nervous to ride on the shuttle but I might give Richard Branson a call, I think that re-entry thingy with the piggy back yoke looks kinda cool. I mean there must be another way of achiving earth orbit without lighting the blue touch paper and producing a slow burn explosion



"Id rather have a full bottle in front of me, than a full frontal lobotomy"