[You Dirty Rats]

And the shuttle on top is going to get its liquid fuel from where exactly? If you fill the shuttle with fuel, then there is no room for cargo.

The real problem is using manned missions to send cargo up into low earth orbit. That was always a foolish idea. Use ELVs for cargo and smaller launch vehicles for humans. Instead, they tried to make a hybrid vehicle that would satisfy all needs and it stinks in every sense.

[cripplecreek]

"The real problem is using manned missions to send cargo up into low earth orbit."


Very true. If we can fly UAVs from halfway around the planet we can certainly launch and dock cargo without an onboard pilot.