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Finally, NASA has moved is moving away from the terribly complex and costly Space Shuttle. NASA has decided the replacement for the Space Shuttle’s manned capabilities will be the Orion crew capsule, which looks alot like the Apollo capsules of the past (it’s cone shaped, and at the end of a rocket, the Ares I) but takes advantage of modern technology: http://www.space.com/news/060831_nasa_cev_contract.html

Hopefully this design direction will lead to much lower costs to lift matter into orbit, and increase the pace of the space program.

Update: Apparently a different vehicle on a bigger rocket (the Ares V) will be used to transport heavier payloads into orbit than the space shuttle can support. NASA has a great site showing pictures and video of the Orion concept here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/multimedia/index.html

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