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Posted by Phil on Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:57 pm
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I know it's rather off-topic for here, but I feel it's still worth mentioning. About 15 minutes ago, the space shuttle Discovery lifted off, marking the first shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster in 2003.
<br />According to NASA, the mission's purpose is to "test new safety procedures and deliver supplies and equipment to the International Space Station."
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Posted by Great Wyrm on Wed Jul 27, 2005 8:07 pm
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Yawn.
<br />Wake me up when we've got a decent reusable launch vehicle, and start working on going somewhere other than Earth orbit.
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<br />Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of the exploration of space. I just think the space shuttle is an incredibly expensive mistake.
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Posted by Phil on Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:38 pm
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Well, the shuttles are still flying, even if it does cost some insane amount of money for each launch, so at least they've got that going for them. Also, they are the only reusable vehicle we (America) have. NASA is looking to have a replacement for the shuttle by 2010, but we all know it'll be more like 2015, at least. Had the shuttle fleet been scrapped after <em>Columbia</em>, it would have been at least seven years before there was something else. Maybe by then there would also be private spacecraft capable of the same things as the shuttle, but it would probably take at least as long.
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Posted by Phil on Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:06 pm
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<a href='http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050727/ts_afp/usspaceshuttledebris_050727223131'>An update</a> NASA has grounded any future shuttle flights after a piece of foam insulation was found to have broken off when Discovery launch. The foam is believed to have been the root of the problem with Columbia.
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Posted by Bluesy Socrateaser on Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:58 am
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My, how the times are still a-changin'!
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<br />...<img src="http://www.poetsquill.com/images/forums/emoticons/cool.gif" alt='8)' />
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