[You Dirty Rats]

Hey, Mr. Rocket Scientist, do you have the first idea what you are talking about? The shuttle is NOT separate from a "launcher" -- the shuttle uses two solid rocket motors to augment its own liquid-fueled engines. Therefore, placing the shuttle on top of the SRBs would make it pretty difficult to use the Shuttle's engines.

Then again, you have inside information on God's blueprints, so maybe bringing up facts is a waste of my time.

[FreedomCalls]

Hey, Mr. Rocket Scientist, do you have the first idea what you are talking about? The shuttle is NOT separate from a "launcher" -- the shuttle uses two solid rocket motors to augment its own liquid-fueled engines. Therefore, placing the shuttle on top of the SRBs would make it pretty difficult to use the Shuttle's engines. Then again, you have inside information on God's blueprints, so maybe bringing up facts is a waste of my time.

Dude, see post 156. Putting the shuttle on top was always Von Braun's design from the very beginning. The committee-designed version we have was a change made to save money.

[MindBender26]

The Whale is right. "21st Century Manned Spacecraft'" plans have been released. It's sort of a two level Appolo.

The idea is; Send the cargo up on cheap solids. Park it in orbit. Then send crew.

[RightWhale]

maybe bringing up facts is a waste of my time

No, go right ahead. I have worked on the space program, but I won't throw my rocket scientist credentials away just because somebody had trouble with foam adhesion.

[hattend]

Read what he said again. He said the NEXT shuttle will be where it belongs, on top of the stack.

Based on plans so far, he's right.

[cabojoe]

RightWhale Owns.

[TalonDJ]

? The shuttle is NOT separate from a "launcher"

The russian shuttle did not have the engine on the orbiter. Neither did several of the designs considered when our shuttle was being planned.