Welcome home, Discovery!

POSTED BY: Gavida
UPDATED: Friday, August 12, 2005 13:58
VIEWED: 3779
PAGE 1 of 1

GAVIDA

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 12:18 PM

Nice to see that the guys made it back home :)

Gavida

ANTHONYT

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 3:14 PM

I'll say. I had to keep shaking my head at the state of our space program. Even moreso when I saw the Daily Show episode that featured the space correspondant who brought 'highly sophisticated' shuttle parts for show and tell.

Now I'll always think it's a miracle hand-delivered by God himself whenever one of those things makes it in or out of atmo.

Why can't we build a rugged ship with something more current than 1970's technology?

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 6:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Why can't we build a rugged ship with something more current than 1970's technology?

Because we funnel most of our money into blowin' s**t up.

Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 6:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Gavida:
Nice to see that the guys made it back home :)

I was prayin'. Nice to have good news on this board. *cheers, throws confetti*

Chrisisall

THATWEIRDGIRL

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 6:36 PM

*raises glass* To the brave men and women of all the space programs!

I'm glad they've returned safely. I hope the shuttles don't make too mnay more runs. Aren't they supposeed to be grounded soon?

www.thatweirdgirl.com
---
"...turn right at the corner then skip two blocks...no, SKIP, the hopping-like thing kids do...Why? Why not?"

FIVVER

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 7:08 PM

The shuttles are supposed to remain in service for the next 5 years and then be replaced by a modular system called the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). I've heard some conflicting information about when that is to fly. Some say 2010 (immediatedly after the shuttles are retired) and some say 2014. That would leave us with at least a 4 year gap with no capability for manned spaceflight.

Anyway, here's a link to what CEV may look like:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/1534782.html

Fivver

FIVVER

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 8:35 PM

Hold the presses! NASA's changed their minds. Here's a link to an article posted on Friday. The new thinking is to keep the parts of the current system that work (solid rocket boosters, external tank and space shuttle main engines) and expand on that. Click on the picture on the right to see the whole family. This would eliminate that 4 year gap.

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/human-spaceflight/space-shuttle/dn
7797

Fivver

PERFESSERGEE

Tuesday, August 9, 2005 10:54 PM

Amen, Gavida. Every day that I've read the news since the Discovery launch, I've been adding a crossed body part. Glad they're home, and I hope that they don't stay grounded.

perfessergee

DAIKATH

Friday, August 12, 2005 1:58 PM

Bah, still no vehicle wich only needs refueling to get to space ? Come on Nasa, you can do better.