The shuttle is safely back to earth. Would this be the last shuttle mission? What is your prediction?

The russians are working together with the ESA now, to launch the soyoez from french guilliana, so it can take bigger payloads in it to orbit. And the Ariane 5 is being remodified to launch supply modules for the ISS. Would this make the shuttle obsolete?

Or will there be a bigger orbit in the future, or an space elevator? I am looking forward to what is going to happen in the near future!

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They'd have a big problem with the Columbus module, as no rocket at this time (or by 2007) is big enough to take this payload in an orbit high enough that it can connect to the ISS automatically.

So the Shuttle is still needed.

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Anyone here think the (retired) Saturn V rocket could have done it?

The (also retired) Energia rocket could probably have lifted the Colombia module as well. Apparently the engines from the Energia's boosters are in the latest generation of US rockets (see WikiPedia - Energia)

Maybe NASA should start looking at the Energia design to replace the shuttle booster - it was a generation newer to start off with.

If wishes were fishes :)

PS: As long as big government - any government, is involved in the shuttle program it will be technologically 2nd rate. Time to let private enterprise take over.

edit: module not shuttle

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