If you think having no human to space capability is ok, then you agree with NASA. That is my point- we are in this spot because the priority has been to see manned space capability as not important. I disagree and I see manned space travel as important.

You can't just look at the cost of building Endeavor, because they were using the results of all the other Shuttle program R&D. You're also ignoring per-launch costs such as refurbishing the reusable components.

NASA has a budget of 16.5$ and spent around 2 billion on the current Mars probe mission-or around 12% of their total annual budget. So, yes, I not only have a 'clue' ,I actually look up the numbers. Space Shuttle Endeavor -the replacement for Challenger- cost 1.7 $ to build. So, silly laughter on your part does not…

"For the cost of the Mars probes- which is NASA's money appropriated by Congress, we could have built ongoing man- to space capability"

NASA publicly admitted that because the ISS could not be reached by a standard shuttle, the Challenger could not use it and was doomed. If NASA had manned missions as priority, the ISS would be a real space station and available to Challenger. For the cost of the Mars probes- which is NASA's money appropriated by…

Which leaves a nice hole for doing whatever you want with this kind of technology. Good or bad, as long as they are not true robots you can do whatever the hell you want with them and answer for your deeds (only) afterwards.

THANK YOU FELLOW SAABISTI!

every one of those divine Swedes is definitely worth it.

Call me a fan boy (I won't deny it). Here are some of my faves, just pick one.

What do you get when you smush a Subaru and a Mitsubishi?

Also minor details about the top speed suffering, but can't demand him to know about both engine and transmission design, can we? :P

Yeah.. I dunno where he got that from. Hell most diesels have significantly larger sumps (but that's purely because most diesels are truck engines).

Ahem, diesels still need engine oil...

And I'd rock all 75hp of it down the road grinning ear to ear.

Slowly of course.

Adultery is a crime in the military!? I am not pro-adultary or anything, but it seems like if there is a hard time finding qualified personnel in the first place, this seems wildly impractical.

Reading all the way through the thread, no one has yet responded with the simple and accurate answer. Lots of people have beaten around the bush with "low speed efficiency", but no elaboration on that.