Hailstorm

I'm also in the "no shuttle at all" camp. Launch vehicle & robotics technology will have matured enough to allow automated assembly of an entire station by the time the ISS is due for replacement. I think we would also get by without the shuttle in the first place. The S-IVB upper stage with the SLA adapter could house a 14-ton lunar module and the Apollo CSM could haul it around easily. The same model could work for on-orbit assembly. 14 tons is about half of the shuttle's payload capacity, but seems enough for most ISS modules. Anything larger could always be launched independently.

All things considered, the most important part of Constellation was the Orion spacecraft, which survived the cancellation. At this point, it would be unwise to mess with launcher programs any more. Let the SLS run its course, get back the manned launch capability first. Altair can be resurrected if going back to the Moon is re-considered. The Mars stuff didn't leave the drawing board anyway, and if/when they do, the SLS is just as adaptable to them as the Ares-V.

First, some background: I'm from Turkey. My country does not have a well-defined, official space program, nor does it have the funds for it. Turkey has "launched" several communications & observation satellites over the last 15 years, at least two of which were indigenously developed. It, however, does not have an indigenous launch vehicle or a launch site. Launches were bought from Russia, France or China. Turkey has, however, a solid defense & arms industry, which can be utilized in building a launch vehicle. In fact, a development program has already been started last year. If I were tasked to lead Turkey's space program, however, I would suspend domestic launch vehicle development. Funds are needed elsewhere, and developing what is basically a ballistic missile can upset Turkey's already strained relations with its neighbors. Instead, I would focus on the following: - Increasing know-how in both manned & unmanned programs. I would immediately push for full membership into ESA, and issue grants for R&D. I would get people into ESA exploration programs, even if only as observers. - Developing a capacity where Turkey can replace most of its "store-bought" communication satellites with indigenous variants. In a realistic scenario, this would take approximately 10 years. I would keep buying launches from other countries, but gradually shift towards commercial entities (SpaceX, OSC, etc.) Now, about manned missions... Right now, it seems so far-fetched that the very concept of "Turks in Space" is considered laughing stock. That wouldn't change for quite a while, even under me I would, however, push towards getting at least one Turk up to the ISS before it retires. That means buying a seat on the Soyuz and that means getting back along with the Russians, but that's the Foreign Ministry's job. It would be a one-time thing, but I would hype it up, "Mercury Seven" style. Cover it with a reality show, make the networks pay for the seat. It would stifle the laughter, stroke the national pride and help raise funds for the unmanned stuff. That, too, can be done in about 10 years. So, that covers the first 10 years. In the following 10-20 years, my objectives would be (in no particular order) - More and more satellites - Designing/building satellites for other countries - Getting people to *work* on ESA exploration programs - Designing/building some part of an ESA/NASA/commercial spacecraft - Buying manned flights from commercial providers, at some point launching the first "all-Turkish" crew - Designing/building some part of the ISS successor

Hi everyone, new guy here. I've been enthusiastic about aviation & spaceflight since I was like... 4, maybe. I'm an avid flightsimmer, did some mod work back in the day (mostly for Falcon 4.0) but only recently discovered KSP. Hope to see you guys around. Cheers