Last space shuttle flight (until the next one)

[Dartful Dodger]

5 minutes and counting.

The last time I watched a shuttle launch in blew up on take off. Hopefully this one will fair better.

Good luck and God bless guys.

[Howard_Casto]

I didn't watch it either.  While it's historic and stuff the space shuttle is a flying death trap and it makes me nervous whenever they launch one. 

An interesting side note is the fact that for now, nasa won't be using american rockects to send astronauts into space (for the space station).  Astronauts will instead hitch a ride with the cosmonauts via the Russian space program.  Dear god is our country falling apart so quickly that we have to depend on the Russians for space travel?

[Vigo]

Dear god is our country falling apart so quickly that we have to depend on the Russians for space travel?

I have been grumbling about the whole thing for a while, but that statement really made me think about the gravity of the situation.

Not to mention all the irony behind it.

[Howard_Casto]

While it might just be you being your usual unreasonably grumpy self, I actually agree with you. 

The space shuttles  originally were supposed to be launched into space via the aid of a jumbo jet flying high into the stratosphere (or course rockets would also be involved, but not the gigantic hydrogen rocket you see strapped to the back now).  That didn't work out, but they had invested so much money in the program that they decided to jimmy-rigg it with a big old rocket strapped to the back of the shuttle. 

When the shuttle was going to have to fly for a bit, the airplane-like design made sense.  When they changed it to essentially launch like a rocket, it made absolutely no sense. 

The ONLY benefit of the shuttle's design was the ability to launch large cargo, and for those missions it was essential.  Hell, the thing got the hubble in orbit and esentially built the international space station and for that it was worth it.  But for 90% of your space missions it was a waste of fuel and resources to use such a large ship to send a few people into orbit.  An apollo style rocket would be much better for such a mission. 

And of course it's been proven time and time again that the tile system on the ship is flawed, essentially causing two explosions.  The tile system, which wouldn't be necessary if it were a traditional rocket and and less surface area to burn up. 

I hope it isn't the end of America's space program though.  Even if you aren't a fan of exploration for exploration's sake, a butt-load of technology came out of the original space race and the shuttle missions.  We are using one right now. 

[drventure]

I think the shuttle was tad over thought as well.

But I hate to see them going back to essentially what looks like an Apollo capsule. Yeah, the tech is proven and all, but jeez, that just doesn't seem to be moving forward to me.

I'm hoping some of the private space ventures can land on an idea that works, is cheap, reusable, and reliable.

[ark_ader]

Why have a plane type of space ship land, when you can have a tried and tested method of re-entry, via capsule?

I would prefer to try out the space elevator option.



Glad the Russians are helping us out peacefully, instead if helping us kill ourselves with atomic war.

[danny_galaga]

And of course it's been proven time and time again that the tile system on the ship is flawed, essentially causing two explosions.  The tile system, which wouldn't be necessary if it were a traditional rocket and and less surface area to burn up. 

The Soviet version, while it only had I think one flight, had a much better system. The insulation was more like a stocking, or glove. It was some sort of fabric, manufactured in one piece to fit over the whole machine.

I don't know if the shuttle was ever intended to be launched from the back of a plane though...

[Howard_Casto]

I don't know if the shuttle was ever intended to be launched from the back of a plane though...

My bad... remember I was like 2 or 3 when they started testing the shuttles.  My child brain must have remembered this:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/space-shuttle10.htm