Originally Posted by Garry

Let me correct you here. Yuri Gagarin was first in the space in 1961.... and 8 years later in 1969 there was a first manned moon landing. Both are really great achievements of the time.

Shutles. Great achievement of the tiem. Great load capabilities. Hubble kept on orbit turning around the views on how universe is fuctioning. However no point to keep them.

In other thread there was plenty of information about newer spacecrafts which might be made by 2011 from components designed for Shuttle program.... but keeping Shuttle as it is - too risky and deadly. And probably not economically sound - it costs around billion of dollars to launch a Shuttle - the vehicle was simply not designed for frequent flights and 20 years of use.
____________________

On subs issue. Recently I read some materials about Alfa sub - project 705. I was amazed to learn about a liquid metal reactors. Liquid metal reactors have size/weight 10 times less than a water reactor of same capacity would require!!!

Moreover such reactors may see their power getting up increadibly fast. I later talked with few experts in nuclear technolgies... they both agreed that Liquid metal technology is a future of portable nuclear reactors just like supercavitating torpedoes leave no chance for old ones.