With Proven Technology
No Innovations
No Experimentation
On the launch of the Space Shuttle the live broadcaster said --The Space Shuttle has lift off -- on to the International Space Station, on to the Moon and on to MARS!
Of course he got carried away, and in all subsequent broadcasts the last part was edited out - but in fact the Space Shuttle is a great space ship and with some major modifications to the cargo bay area for larger crew quarters and inside storage plus a lander ; it could go on to Mars.
Anyone who has watched he shuttle maneuvering around the ISS will see it as a Super Spaceship, to call it a shuttle is a misnomer. Nasa could counter-claim this but it is likely that 90% of the preparation time between launches concerns the weakness of this spaceship - the take off. If kept in space and maintained at the ISS it could operate for long periods.
If there was an emergency even NASA might do that - but the risk involved would totally beyond NASA and perhaps even the US and contrary to its nature for the US is fundamentally conservative. The new programs by the US could see us waiting to the 2030s before any meaningful manned spaceflight.
There should an attempt by agencies in conjunction with countries, to carry out conversions, reduce the experimental nature of the shuttle - that is concentrate on propulsion - maintain it at the ISS - keep it in space - and turn it into a NewSpaceShip and go to Mars.
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