The Langley Class of space exploration vehicles were built in the early 2030's to supplant the 2nd generation space shuttles built under Project Constellation in the 2020's. The ships are manufactured at either Boeing's Everett, WA plant for North and South American customers or The Airbus plant in Hamburg, Germany for Customers in Asia and Europe. Like the Orion-shuttles, the Langley classs ships were launched via an Ares-V variant into earth orbit fullyloaded with stores and equipment; the fuel for the nuclear engine is loade on orbit. Crews embark via earth-orbiting space stations, both private and goverment, before beginning their missions. They are powered by a gas-core NERVA ( allowed by an amendment to the nuclear test ban treaty). Though most in service with NASA have been phased out by the more advanced Northrop and Sagan -Class ships, some still serve as either the winged atmospheric capable variant, or as comercial spaceliners like the Sagan class' civilian variant, the Starclipper.


This is my model of the Langley-class USS Duct Tape, from a sci-fi story that I wrote a while back. It's made completely from cardstock and the lighting system was purchased at the local radio shack.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...04/LC09III.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...104/LC06II.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j240/OV-104/LC05I.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j240/OV-104/LC05.jpg

As to the name, the in-Universe explanation and the story it's featured in are here:
Operation Duct Tape
http://www.exisle.net/mb/index.php?s=&...st&p=910679
The Sagan Incident
http://www.exisle.net/mb/index.php?s=&...st&p=962174

The real reason:
Me and Friend of mine got bored while on a scout camping trip to the Shiloh Battlefield and built a rocket out of, well, garbage and assembled it with and covered with it Ducktape. AS to the Duct Tape part, that was per the direction of the folks at the BAUT Forum back in 2005

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Aim high (but don't blow yourself up)!- Homer Hickam

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Clear skies Maksutov.

We name all of our ships (marine and other) for important things. I really hope that some day we have a USS Duct Tape!

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009

And you actually took advice you got here?!?

It looks very nice. Of course, the shadows are all wrong so we know it's a hoax.

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Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by ignorance or stupidity.
Isaac Asimov

I'm going to have to step out to the factory and look for that....

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