GM, are you that dense? The COTS vehicles can compete for the CRS contract. That is how it works.

And as usually, you are wrong again. The shuttle was designed to land with 10 crew members, not launch 10.

The shuttle can’t do orbital operations without the crew. That is where most of the mods are needed. It can’t open the payload bay doors, it can’t dock, it can’t deploy payloads.

“Cargo was never the point of COTS”… “cargo” is all that it will do (if lucky)

“You will see that COTS funding is only 500 million and no more”… I know that, but, if COTS will succeed, something REAL should be built from them

“NASA will buy cargo by the pound and not the launch”… “pounds” or “launches” both have a “price” and it’s not cheap …no matter if you use an ATV or a “CRS” vehicle (that sound a very later project, if “the vehicles haven’t been selected” yet!) …never seen, so far, something carried to LEO at less than $10.000 per kg.

“unmanned shuttle is no where near real”… from lift-off to LEO nearly everything is ALREADY automatic controlled by computers (TOO FAST operations to be accomplished by humans… the Shuttle isn’t a car!) while, about the LEO to Earth reentry, the Shuttle ALREADY has it’s “automatic return control cables” option aboard, and it doesn’t NOT cost “billions”… link to post

“The shuttle can’t launch more than 7″… the Shuttles was early designed for a crew of up to TEN astronauts, no matter if it was really used for seven AND eight astronauts… however, “seven” US astronauts per Shuttle launch, always are/will be more than just ONE american astronauts per Soyuz launch…

“CRS is cargo for the gap”… we all wait to see your loved “CRS” vehicles to fly…

Just stop posting. You are wrong on all points.

1. CRS is a real program, just the vehicles haven’t been selected.
2. No, it won’t, CRS and shuttle will take care of the cargo
3. Cargo was never the point of COTS: ”
The C3PO created the COTS projects to help American industry develop privately operated space transportation systems” that is the objective of COTS per NASA website. CRS is cargo to ISS

4. Wrong. Read something before posting.
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/partners/space_act_agreements.html
You will see that COTS funding is only 500 million and no more. RPK was dropped from COTS because they couldn’t get commercial funding. NASA wasn’t going to get them more funding. There is no continuation of COTS after the demo. Only to you it is a waste of money, because you can’t understand. NASA will buy cargo by the pound and not the launch. And the contract for buying cargo is CRS and not COTS

4 wrong, unmanned shuttle is no where near real. The shuttle can’t have the capability for a reason cost, hence the term not feasible or not viable. It would cost billions to do the conversion.

5. 61-A was before the Challenger mods and doesn’t count. STS-71 only landed that many. The shuttle can’t launch more than 7.

6. Wrong, CRS is cargo for the gap

2.. NASA will NEED Progress, ATV and HTV

3.. cargo services is the MAIN goal of COTS (and will probably remain the ONLY for long time)

4. it DO get extra funding to succeed… also, it’s a STUDY project, then, if it will succeed, each launch will be “sold” separately from R&D costs at a (now unknown) “price” per launch (that’s not a “cost overrun” but surely IS “a cost”)

“There is no continuation after the demo.” … IF TRUE, it’s a WASTE of money!

4. unmanned shuttle already is 90% close to real

5. “…on two occasions, eight astronauts have flown (STS-61-A, STS-71). Eleven people could be accommodated in an emergency mission (see STS-3xx)…” (wikipedia Space Shuttle page)

6. no cargo to ISS gap …thanks to Progress, ATV, HTV and COTS

You are all wrong and clueless, again.
1. CRS is a real program. and the budget is more than 1 billion and it does not do crew

2.. NASA doesn’t buy Progress, ATV and HTV services.

3.. COTS does not provide ISS cargo services, only CRS does. Also, no over runs if the cargo doesn’t get to the ISS, the contractor doesn’t get all his pay

4. Here is where you are clueless. COTS does not get extra funding. . There is no such thing as an overrun. NASA supplies 500m and the rest is up to the contractor. Perio. COTS doesn’t go past 2010. It is only 3 demo flights for spacex and one fore OSC. There is no continuation after the demo.

4. Unmanned shuttle is not feasible

5. Shuttle has only 7 seats.

6. There is no cargo to ISS gap, only crew to ISS

Also you said it and it is only thing you have said that is true “I did not know”

the standard Orion already IS a “lite” capsule if used for ISS missions with 3 astronauts, 5 days life support and 2 mT of propellents… a global 7+ mT weigh saving that allows it to be launched with a man-rated Delta or Atlas Heavy… unfortunately, the Orion itself will be ready to fly unmanned (for tests) not earlier than 2013 (+ further delays)

last, don’t forget, that, still keep the cargo-only Shuttle fleet in service, means that you CAN (always) use it (also) for a few MANNED missions, if absolutely necessary!