NASA Changes The Focus Of Future ISS Cargo Delivery Plans (SpaceRef)

NASA is now interested in having a reliable or "assured" means of delivering cargo to the ISS in the 2011 time frame. "Alternate" means of delivering cargo is no longer the highest driver - making sure that cargo can be delivered is. This "assured" capability is needed to replace the cargo carrying capability of the Space Shuttle which NASA now feels pressured to retire (at least as a vehicle carrying humans) much sooner than it had planned to - and to replace its human transport capabilities with the Orbital Space Plane (OSP).

どうもわかりにくいけど、シャトルの貨物運搬とクルー輸送の役割を完全に分割していく方向を考えているらしい。