Actually, the USA uses both liquid and solid rockets on the shuttle (the little side tanks are the solid boosters). As I understand it, liquid boosters can generate much more raw power than solid ones, but must be kept supercooled prior to launch. Solid boosters also need a special hollow design (they burn from the inside out), but they are reusable, whereas liquid boosters are not. Boy, is THIS off topic! On Thu, 23 Oct 1997 04:53:01 +0300, Dmitry Kiryashov wrote: >Hello Andy . > >> We need to keep this open, because engineers DO and MUST differ. Even big >> guys. Look, the USSR built its space program on solid-fuel boosters, the >> USA did it on liquid fuel. The Soviets were first to launch a satellite, >> and the USA first (only) to land on the moon. Does either make one right >> and the other wrong? > >You are some wrong because ex-USSR build space rockets with liquid fuel >boosters. >And as i know USA made rockets with solid one . > >WBR Dmitry . Martin R. Green elimar@NOSPAMbigfoot.com To reply, remove the NOSPAM from the return address. Stamp out SPAM everywhere!!!