Need A Lift? 

NASA has already begun the process of trying to decide what sort of rockets will be needed for the Vision for Space Exploration. Options include relying on existing launchers like the Atlas 5 and Delta 4, launching smaller payloads which would then be assembled in space, or developing a new heavy launch vehicle (a la the Saturn V). If the latter route is taken, one option would be, rather than developing an entirely new vehicle from scratch, to use portions of the existing STS architecture to create a launch booster that could lift three to four times as much payload as the Shuttle.
Another interesting note in the article--NASA apparently has no idea how it's going to launch the JIMO Jovian moon orbiter in 2015.

:: :: 08:54 :: David :: [permalink] ::