Shuttle termination?

[Nowhere]

Uhm Doc, these sapce ships have wings so they can land on a runway back on Earth, if there were no wings the ship will be useless on re-entry as a capsule would have to deploy a parachute , but at that point 80% of the ship itself gone, just like Appolo 13 etc.

So if you want to reuse a ship over and over again, it better have wings to properly land back on earth to be relaunched at a later time.

Cheers,
Elie

What's wrong with parachute? Especially if its parawing...

[Nowhere]

There should be at least a couple of shuttles maintained in case something needs to be brought back from space. This is an option capsules just don't have. There is also a HECK of a lot more room in the shuttle for crew comfort and activities than there would be in a capsule. There is usually enough room right in the cabin for whatever work or experiments that need to be done, and there's a separate bathroom and lower deck for sleeping while other crew members are working. Why don't you ask John Glenn or John W. Young, who flew in both capsules and shuttles which they would prefer to go to space in? Even with their conditioning, I'm surprised that some of those Gemini guys never got a deep vein thrombosis from sitting in their tight quarters for such an extended period.

You do have a point, though, in that it's a waste to use shuttles to launch satellites and other such payloads when you could just stick them on top of a booster. For certain missions, a capsule might work just fine, too, but for longer flights or more complex operations, gimme a shuttle any day.

A couple of Shuttles...that's all we have now. You're saying the SS programme should continue? And name one big thing that would really need to be brought back...
As for the space/room argument...pffffffffffff. Look at the diagrams of the Shuttle. Big outside, small inside - basically just a capsule (yes) with 100 tonnes of crap attached. Now, in real capsule, most of its innards is for crew. And I wouldn't be surprised if they'll have more room than the Shuttle, especially when assembled for some specific mission in "mini space stations" (for longer flights or more complex operations, gimme something like that any day)

[Elie]

What's wrong with parachute? Especially if its parawing...

It's another point of failure, and a critical one to boot

[Nowhere]

Wings are not? Helllooo? Heard about Columbia?

[Elie]

yes I agree, but at least you don't have to wait for them to be deployed, wings are fixed, nothing mechanical.

With a chute, you are risking the possibiity of them not deploying or isues during deployment.

[Nowhere]

But OTOH that's also one of the biggest problems with wings - they're "deployed" all the time, risking damage (and there are mechanical parts in there, I wouldn't be surprised if more than in parachute deplyment system - anyone knows details how they work, precizelly? The simplest thing I could think of are explosives...). Parachute is safe during most of the mission.
Moreover, you can apply some form of redundancy...second one for example...or even third

[Jessterw]

As for the space/room argument...pffffffffffff. Look at the diagrams of the Shuttle. Big outside, small inside - basically just a capsule (yes) with 100 tonnes of crap attached. No, in real capsule, most of its innards is for crew. And do be surprised if they'll have more room tham the Shuttle, especially when assembled for some specific mission in "mini space stations" (for longer flights or more complex operations, gimme something like that any day)

Having been inside the cabin of a space shuttle, I can say that it's not exactly cramped; however, the designs I've seen for the capsules give ample enough room for the crew as well.

[GT98]

yes I agree, but at least you don't have to wait for them to be deployed, wings are fixed, nothing mechanical.

With a chute, you are risking the possibiity of them not deploying or isues during deployment.

How many times have the parachutes failed in all the capsule programs??? I can't think of any at the moment...including the Russian programs

Anyways...I beileve that a capule could be reusable also, within limitations.

[Nowhere]

Well, there was one death in Soyuz programme, in first manned flight of the craft. But I can't remember of any more during manned flights... (I think there were more, but just in early unmanned flights of Soyuz - Russians had some problems with it initially...)

[Jessterw]

Yes, the capsules could easily be reusable, it's more the booster portion that isn't. I'm not positive on the costs associated with either component for the new units being developed, so it's hard to say.

[Nowhere]

I would be surprised if the new NASA launch boosters won't be reusable in about the same way the Shuttle boosters are...

[Dr Mordrid]

Just for the record: if NASA takes cues from the t/Space CXV then it will be reusable. Rutans people have desitned its outer shell to be replaceable with the inner workings re-fittable, and you can bet refitting something as small and simple as a capsule will be hell and gone easier and cheaper than re-fitting a shuttle

Dr. Mordrid

[Dr Mordrid]

If if launched sidesaddle, used foam as the tank insulator and if they used tiles, then probably it would have been a good idea. A smaller shuttle with ablative heat shielding and inline launching would still be wasteful (wings in space ) but more workable.

Dr. Mordrid

[Nowhere]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2005-09-27-nasa-griffin-interview_x.htm

Not that I don't think that's mainly the case of kissing asses of the administration which promoted him, thinks the same, thinks other administrations done bad while itself it's doing only good...but still. Anyway he goes a bit too far with ISS...and contradicts himself a bit while doing that. (cost)

[Marshmallowman]

I think the shuttle was before its time, the technology is just not there to make it reliable and cost effective, but it has not been a complete waste, they will have learnt a lot of valuable stuff that will come in invaluable in the future.
But I said when I first heard about the shuttle they should stick with rockets for quite a while and I say the same thing now.

The thing with our current space technology level, we should be sending up as much gear as possible with the intention that it stays up and is resuable, hell if they could make some parts of the booster stages reusable as sections of space statiuon we could kill 2 birds with one stone. The only things coming back to earth should be people and it seems capsule are the cheapest and safest tech we have at the moment for doing that.