Trailrider - I'm not interested in "Go Fever" - I'm interested in a sustainable, modern spaceflight system. I didn't want to repeat what i've typed before, which is that there are other ways to fulfill our international commitments. Those routes are much cheaper than STS. <br /><br />I'm all for finishing ISS and going onto the the moon and mars, but Shuttle is strangling those babies in the crib. Another Shuttle accident would indeed kill US government spaceflight.<br /><br />You don't get medals for hangar queens, either. Like I said, I'm calling my Congressmen if Shuttle doesn't fly in 06. I might even back that off to August, I'm VERY unhappy, as tax payer and tech geek, with STS and NASA's recent performance. I PAY YOU, AND I'M UNHAPPY. I'm NOT going to be supportive in tone unless it is deserved support, right now NASA is bungling things badly. They/you are buying the past (STS) with our future (CEV & robotic probes). <br /><br />Dr. Griffin is a breath of fresh air, but he really needs to take this process to conclusion, quickly. Tell Congress that STS is unflyable and that we need to move on. They have listened to him like no other recent Administrator, he just needs to take that last step. <br /><br />I didn't mention private vessels as an alternative in that post. Failure isn't an option, but cancellation sure is. <br /><br />Quickly: cancel STS, fly the international's racks on ATV or custom/HLV flight to finish ISS, restore astrobio and robotics, fasttrack capsule development and ditch the Stick requirement. Use existing rockets where possible, let NASA build the deep space craft that they are actually good at. <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>