So Long Shuttle Program

[Venture]

Today marks the end of the space shuttle program. Atlantis touched down successfully.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015689947_shuttle22.html

I'm watching a special on the final launch on the Science Channel right now. It's amazing what has gone into this program. I understand budgets and all that, but I'm sad that there's no follow-up being planned.

 

[trinc4me]

Today marks the end of the space shuttle program. Atlantis touched down successfully.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015689947_shuttle22.html

I'm watching a special on the final launch on the Science Channel right now. It's amazing what has gone into this program. I understand budgets and all that, but I'm sad that there's no follow-up being planned.

Agreed Venture......and not to mention all the jobs cut with the program too......surprised they haven't outsourced the next "shuttle" program to India.

 

[ptfjjj]

The double sonic boom woke me at 6 am. I'm going to miss that. There have been 21 missions since I moved here. Things are definitely not going to be the same.

 

[Buckeye56]

It is the end of an era. But I see it as an opportunity for NASA to take a different tack and possibly do more great stuff like the Mars rovers and the like. I think we are a long way from a manned mission to Mars, there are too many hurdles to over come and current technology doesn't seem to be advanced enough to make it work.

It was cool to see the shuttles and ISS fly overhead!

 

[switchback]

Sunglasses, memory foam, communications technologies, Google earth... Thousands of things we use on a daily basis were developed or positively influenced by the space program. Hope this country gets back on top of the space program. Seems fitting that the end of this era coincides with our first walk on the Moon back in 69. 42 years ago today they were on their way back home.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Re: So Long Shuttle Program - Hello SpaceX!

Just curious about whether others are watching SpaceX develop the next manned rocket and capsule. Pretty impressive and gee, a ride to the Cape at the end of November sounds great!


http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

 

[Venture]

Re: So Long Shuttle Program - Hello SpaceX!

Just curious about whether others are watching SpaceX develop the next manned rocket and capsule. Pretty impressive and gee, a ride to the Cape at the end of November sounds great!


http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

Thanks for posting that. I had no idea a private company was already in that stage of development. They've already launched, orbited, and returned the capsule at this point! Maybe I don't watch enough news, but I didn't see any coverage about this when the last shuttle mission was going on. It would have been complimentary news.

 

[ptfjjj]

Re: So Long Shuttle Program - Hello SpaceX!

Just curious about whether others are watching SpaceX develop the next manned rocket and capsule. Pretty impressive and gee, a ride to the Cape at the end of November sounds great!


http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

Oh yeah! I have a friend who is the launch director for SpaceX. He used to work for United Space Alliance. They have proven to be able to put a vehicle in orbit and successfully return it for a fraction of the cost of NASA. Hopefully, they can pick up the slack since the Russian option isn't working too good.