Flying the space shuttle unmanned - how feasible?

[vt_hokie]

Given the prospect of more lengthy delays in the shuttle program, would it be worth considering modification of the orbiters to fly unmanned? The most challenging part would likely be automated docking with ISS. Could the space station be completed using unmanned shuttle flights? Probably not, I would guess, given the need for EVA's and simultaneous RMS operation.

 

[lunatio_gordin]

actually, they aren't allowed to use both of the RMS at the same time. They Do trade off, i guess, but they can't both be moving at the same time.<br />I don't see how that would stop it being unmanned though. You could send one of the ISS crew into the shuttle to perform those sorts of things if you had to.

 

[paleo]

Isn't a major purpose of the ISS to have actual warm bodies on it? It's fine and dandy to finish it but in the meantime there were all these claims of 'science' being performed on the station.<br /><br /> The value of the Shuttle and ISS isn't to justify eachother's existence but in providing more experience of people getting into space and living in space. They are both about humans in space. The Shuttle as a spacecraft is a fiasco and the ISS as a source of 'science' is even a bigger one. BUT both have taught us a lot about the technology of getting humans off this planet and keeping them alive in orbit. Lots of questions and challenges have popped up and that's the real value

 

[kdavis007]

Not feasible...

 

[spacefire]

course not. NASAs adaptability is that of an oil tanker trying to maneuver around a speedboat. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>