Comments on: Time to Shelve the Shuttle http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/ Aviation buzz and bold opinion Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:57:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Garry Conn http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-12494 Garry Conn Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:03:01 +0000 http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-12494 I used to live in Orlando when I was a teen. And man... it was always one of the most beautiful things to see in our backyard watching the shuttle take off in the distant horizon. NASA is amazing. It is so cool to see such an ingenious design hold up through the test of time. Amazing... 30 years! That is amazing. How many other things go unchanged in 30 years time? But on that note, I agree, we really need to push forward with the next design. I used to live in Orlando when I was a teen. And man… it was always one of the most beautiful things to see in our backyard watching the shuttle take off in the distant horizon. NASA is amazing. It is so cool to see such an ingenious design hold up through the test of time. Amazing… 30 years! That is amazing. How many other things go unchanged in 30 years time? But on that note, I agree, we really need to push forward with the next design.

]]> By: Eric http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10908 Eric Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:59:01 +0000 http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10908 I totally agree with this article. I love the shuttle, but its too old now to be operated safely. I think the main reason NASA keeps it alive is that it has no direct replacement and the minute congress can take funding from NASA to some other boondoggle, it will. To me this is less about flight safety than funding. I totally agree with this article. I love the shuttle, but its too old now to be operated safely. I think the main reason NASA keeps it alive is that it has no direct replacement and the minute congress can take funding from NASA to some other boondoggle, it will.

To me this is less about flight safety than funding.

]]> By: Robert Mark http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10566 Robert Mark Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:56:38 +0000 http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10566 Actually Steve, it was not easy for me to say. I have been a fan of the spaceprogram since I was a kid. I remember the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts. What I wrote wasn't so much about the space program and the need to stop flying the Shuttle, despite the machine's age, as it was to say that the folks running NASA are goofy. It's always been tough to separate the science from the agency it self, I think. But in this case, the lessons are staring everyone in the face and I just can't believe NASA is willing ro risk the lives of any more people. And you are absolutely right about the investment issue. But saying this is as good as it gets seems to fly in the face of what these folks are trying to accomplish. Maybe NASA doesn't have the money for a new vehicle or the political support to win any, but the technology is there. And again, it is the folks running NASA that scare me. Actually Steve, it was not easy for me to say. I have been a fan of the spaceprogram since I was a kid. I remember the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts.

What I wrote wasn’t so much about the space program and the need to stop flying the Shuttle, despite the machine’s age, as it was to say that the folks running NASA are goofy.

It’s always been tough to separate the science from the agency it self, I think.

But in this case, the lessons are staring everyone in the face and I just can’t believe NASA is willing ro risk the lives of any more people.

And you are absolutely right about the investment issue. But saying this is as good as it gets seems to fly in the face of what these folks are trying to accomplish.

Maybe NASA doesn’t have the money for a new vehicle or the political support to win any, but the technology is there. And again, it is the folks running NASA that scare me.

]]> By: Steve M http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10565 Steve M Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:21:33 +0000 http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10565 "Time to Shelve the Shuttle" easy for you to say.. there is alot invested in the shuttle and replacing it isn't as easy as replacing your television set. “Time to Shelve the Shuttle”

easy for you to say.. there is alot invested in the shuttle and replacing it isn’t as easy as replacing your television set.

]]> By: Mal Gormley http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10485 Mal Gormley Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:26:35 +0000 http://www.jetwhine.com/2007/08/time-to-shelve-the-shuttle/#comment-10485 This mission should mark the beginning of the end for virtually ALL manned space flight for a long, long time--including the ISS, whose only purpose, as far as I can tell, is to enable the astronauts to measure each others' blood pressure at 17,500 MPH, play with Legos, and subject the astronauts to bad music every morning. I was a fanatical supporter of Mercury thru Apollo, and for a while, Skylab. But I just don't see the bang for the buck--or the risk of lives to continue this stupid program on my dime. If Branson et al. want to shake down the vanity types for a quarter million a ride for a five minute photo-op--fine. I'm also thrilled to see the Canadians getting into the act. The Russians & the Chinese are wasting their rubles & yen on manned space flight, but hey--let them ignore their nations' more pressing needs just like we're doing now. Meanwhile, there is so MUCH more to be done, and fortunes to be made from robotic space flight. Thanks for bringing up one of my pet peeves, Bob. This mission should mark the beginning of the end for virtually ALL manned space flight for a long, long time–including the ISS, whose only purpose, as far as I can tell, is to enable the astronauts to measure each others’ blood pressure at 17,500 MPH, play with Legos, and subject the astronauts to bad music every morning.

I was a fanatical supporter of Mercury thru Apollo, and for a while, Skylab. But I just don’t see the bang for the buck–or the risk of lives to continue this stupid program on my dime.

If Branson et al. want to shake down the vanity types for a quarter million a ride for a five minute photo-op–fine. I’m also thrilled to see the Canadians getting into the act. The Russians & the Chinese are wasting their rubles & yen on manned space flight, but hey–let them ignore their nations’ more pressing needs just like we’re doing now.

Meanwhile, there is so MUCH more to be done, and fortunes to be made from robotic space flight.

Thanks for bringing up one of my pet peeves, Bob.

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