The Space Shuttle became a major problem. Described as “routine access to space,” it was anything but. The Shuttle took on a life of its own and soon became an end, not a means.
I was involved in a revolutionary program called
the X-30 that tried to use scramjets to use the air in the atmosphere to get to orbit but we never mastered the scramjets at the level needed.
Before we can ROUTINELY go anywhere in space, we have to have a space station that can assemble and launch, so we aren’t overcoming earth’s atmosphere to launch.
“Before we can ROUTINELY go anywhere in space, we have to have a space station that can assemble and launch, so we aren’t overcoming earth’s atmosphere to launch.”
That would be a great goal for the Trump admin to set. Maybe have private sector firms build the station with NASA only acting as coordinator.
Of course with NASA involved it will get hijacked for some SJW crusade the next time that the American people elect an Obama.
‘The Space Shuttle became a major problem. Described as “routine access to space,” it was anything but. The Shuttle took on a life of its own and soon became an end, not a means.’
I got the impression that it must have been gobbling up all of NASA’s resources. And it had all of the romance of a bus or a truck, which IIRC is what NASA was billing it as. Some real sharp marketing savvy there.
But as the two Shuttle disasters demonstrated, getting to and from space is not “routine” and remains inherently dangerous.