До кучи - сравнительно небольшая статья о создании шаттла с Буран.ру:
История разработки
многоразовой транспортно-космической системы (МТКС) "Спейс Шаттл
// www.buran.ru
А еще вот такая книжка попалась:
Upgrading the Space Shuttle
Она сама к теме создания шаттла напрямую вроде бы и не относится, однако в ней упоминается вот такой оригинальный вариант апгрейда шаттла - замена твердотопливных бустеров на многоразовые жидкостные (крылатые):
This proposed upgrade would replace the shuttle’s two solid rocket boosters
with winged liquid-fueled boosters that would automatically fly back to the
launch site (using conventional gas turbine engines) after they have used up their
rocket fuel and separated from the orbiter. Figure 4-2 illustrates some design
concepts for the LFBB. The proposers of the upgrade believe that the LFBBs
would improve safety by reducing or eliminating the need for some high-risk
abort modes, save $400 million per year in operations costs (with seven shuttle
flights per year), and increase the shuttle’s payload capacity. The proposers also
predict that the LFBB would enable a three-week turnaround time between
missions, and (with three sets of LFBBs) could allow the shuttle to fly 15 times
per year.
Approximately $12 million has been spent by NASA to study the LFBB.
Lockheed Martin and Boeing have also funded studies and produced some initial
competing design concepts. NASA plans to continue studying the LFBB in preparation
for a decision on whether to proceed at the end of year 2000. (Like the
five-segment RSRB, the LFBB will be assessed by NASA’s Independent Program
Assessments Office.) If NASA decides to proceed, the upgrade proposers
estimate that hardware fabrication and testing will take four years and will cost
about $4 to $5 billion.
(цитирую не всё, полностью см. собственно в книге)