Replacement shuttle: Astronauts not included

This is an interesting approach. NASA is considering separating the cargo lifting from the people lifting function in a new space shuttle system. This means that the big ugly rocket does not have to be engineered as safely as it would need to be if it were carrying people. The crew would go up in a smaller, easier-to-engineer vehicle and transfer to the boxcar in space. The trickiest part of the flight is the launch when the most forces are being applied and do-overs are impossible. This is brilliant enough to actually work.