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[Snowcrash]

Make that Atlantis is the last one left to finish the ISS.

[Diesel]

Don't worry Snowcrash, all is not yet lost. I'm off work for a few days now and have been looking into our situation.

I have made contact with a guy in COLUMBIA, who's credentials are first rate. He, apparently know's the exact location  of the Lost City of ATLANTIS and, therefore, can be trusted. This important DISCOVERY means that our ENTERPRISE is not yet lost and our road trip could still go ahead. This ENDEAVOUR could still prove to be a bit of a CHALLENGER, but, I'm sure we can succeed.

[Data]

First class post Diesel
I particularly like the way you have got the names of the shuttles in there

[Snowcrash]

If his name is Mr Canaveral and he wears a cape, I think we have a winner. Seeing as we don't Need Another Seven Astronaughts and only need about the space of a petrol (gas) station to store the thing, all should go well.

[Duskrider]

Good news, chaps.
I was down at the cape and talked to friend of mine about you.
He has built a fifth shuttle just for you (the new H.M.S. Hood)
It travels faster than speed of light in virtual space. 
Yes, a real haptar starship.   
I'll sending the haptar to Data now and he can give to any of you who have haptar player installed.
Here's couple pics for you.

[Data]

That is great Dusky, the H.M.S. Hood  

I see from the pictures that it can reach very deep space or intergalactic space, as Snowcrash would have me say.

Incredible  

Have got the haptar

Many thanks.  

[Snowcrash]

Last Roll Out of a NASA Space Shuttle

The last flight of the last shuttle 

This mission designation is STS-135. NASA's site here.

[Diesel]

Wait a minute!. Here's a new twist to our little road trip.

An open invitation to Nevada for a Solar Eclipse and at a Camp Site. This is food for thought.

Snowcrash, do you know if there would be room for all of us to Kip inside our little exhibit thus doing away for the need for Canvas or an R.V.

I think you had better start checking the fluid levels on the Shuttle Tow Mobile Data, looks like we are on our way.

                                                           

[Snowcrash]

Found this in the RSS feeds here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14089297

These are the contenders. Which one will win out?

[Data]

The Dream Chaser looks the most modern, or the nicest looking  but at only 10 meters long it doesn’t seem like a serious contender, in fact none of them look to be able to do what the shuttles could, in some ways a bit of a shame.

I’m hoping something new will come along, all of a sudden, maybe using some top-secret engine design, something based on the Aurora project, that doesn’t exist   

[Snowcrash]

The Aurora is a scram jet, atmosphere only.

The main problem with the Shuttle, other than its age, is it's too costly. It's cheaper to use a throw away rocket with a re-useable Human top bit. The MPCV seems to have had the most funding from NASA.

The replacement will just be for Human flight, not any cargo.

[Data]

I feel I should point out that the Aurora is said to have a “detonation pulse wave engine”, but I have no idea if it would work in space either 

Something needs to come along that can take cargo in to space and none of the above seem to fit the bill.

[Snowcrash]

Ok, I got the scram jet bit wrong but it's still atmosphere only.

There are plenty of heavy lifters to get cargo into space. It's still cheaper to send 2 rockets, 1 for cargo and one for people. NASA does not have anything to get people into space, they can still send cargo.

Only rockets can get to space 'cos they have to take their own fuel. They have to be big so they can get the rocket, with all it's fuel, off of the ground.

A space elevator would be the best but that's just a pipe dream. We don't have the materials to build one and if it failed it would cause alot of damage. Geostationary orbit is 35,786 km, so a space elevator would need a cable this long with a counter weight in orbit. If it failed the cable would rap around the equator once (pretty much) and cause alot of damage.

[Snowcrash]

Found this in the RSS feeds here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14915725

It looks like their new manned rocket will be called the Space Launch System (SLS).

Wow, exciting evocative name, not. How about TTF (thing that flies) or Greek/Roman name (Saturn 5 has already been used there are loads of others) or even MOB (Mars or bust). 

[DaveMorton]

I would suggest Icarus, but that may give folks the wrong impression (I think of Wagons East, for example).

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