http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=4159(This is an interesting article, but really a filler - given we're doing so much Russian news at the moment). We have another Russian story later on today, so this is just to mix it up a bit.
That's cool, appreciate your honesty!
It's interesting, isn't just one release and the site's got to cover all its subjects, so hey, works for me.
Appreciate that, George. We'd of had five stories in a row on the Russians. While they are creating the news right now, the next story is a combination of three Russian stories (Anatoly Perminov on US Soyuz places, their dominance of late, and the preview of their ESA launch tomorrow).
We've still got more from Nikolay Sevastiyanov (x2) and another Russian launch on the 29th - but should have an X-33/Venturestar story coming, the LOX leak latest on OV-103 and a few more things on the schedule before we hit into the New Year.
It's a question of mixing things up with the breaking/time sensitive news.
Orbiter Obvious - 27/12/2005 6:52 PM
X-33/VentureStar? 
Just a guest writer who gives a very in-depth outline on what went wrong with the the efforts to build that good looking SSTO. It's pretty much an outline piece, so it'll be New Years Day that'll go on.
I'll look forward to that, given I worked on the X-33 at the Skunkworks.
I wasn't aware of different types of Atlas 5s. How many ranges do they come in, such as any image scales to show?
XXX: first number is the fairing (4 is the small one, 5 is the big one; 4 meters vs. 5); second number is the number of solids from 0 to 5; third number is one or two Centaur engines.
Ignoring Centaur, you have ten different versions to watch launch.
Read this if you want in depth on the Atlas 5:
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av001/020814rocket/
I'll add too, I don't think a 501 will ever fly, but I could be mistaken.
What will be interested is Astra this Spring, which you may notice has one SRB on it. I don't ever recall there being a rocket with one booster on the side...should make for a wild ride. This may be a first, but I'm trying to find out.
