NASA Expects Space Shuttles to Fly Again by Next Spring | NYT

[Ediacara]

NASA Expects Space Shuttles to Fly Again by Next Spring
By WARREN E. LEARY

Published: May 1, 2004

WASHINGTON, April 30 — NASA has made sufficient progress modifying the space shuttle fleet to warrant growing confidence that the spacecraft can safely resume flying next spring, space agency officials said Friday.

Wayne Hale, deputy manager of the shuttle program, said that while much more work needed to be done, "we have made significant progress across the board."

Mr. Hale said the pace of shuttle modifications included enough reserve time to complete everything by next spring.

The remaining three space shuttles have been grounded since the Columbia disintegrated in the atmosphere upon re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, resulting in the loss of its seven-member crew. The investigation board attributed the accident to a piece of fuel tank foam hitting the edge of a wing and damaging it in the launching, and a breakdown in management procedures at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

More at the New York Times

[Heyo]

1. That's all fine and good....

.. and I am a fervent supporter of NASA.

But we need to move beyond the shuttle. We need a new LEO vehicle and one that can jump to higher (even lunar) orbits.

The bottom line.. we need a new form of propulsion... It seems we've done all we can with our current chemical rockets.

Heyo