Re:Proposed alternatives to the shuttle

Good points on both your counts. I’m betting on the private sector myself, I mean the folks pushing the space tourist and the other companies that have programs in the works. And the EU has a Mars mission in the works now, and Japan launched a probe to investigate Mars’ asteroids a couple of months ago.

Mars has been so difficult for us, I think it’s rather ambitious and hopeful that the EU Space Agency is STARTING with Mars….

The main point now being the ISS. The 70’s design Russian crafts are the only thing we’ve got for that at the moment besides the shuttle.
Space exploration won’t be in the hands of the American government….they’ll just be landlords for the launch pad.

“Cape Canaveral, FOR RENT” They do that for all the commercial satelites that go up already.