End of the Shuttle Program

nipper · #1 07-21-2011, 04:59 AM

I was just listening to National Public Radio and heard that the last space shuttle safely landed. Those space shuttles, despite some problems, were absolutely amazing.

willy · #2 07-21-2011, 07:15 AM

Agreed, God Bless those that served and flew, and those who did not make it home.
Now its time for us to make the next leap into space and be a leader not a follower.

Road King Cole · #3 07-21-2011, 07:19 AM

Another sad end of an era.

I wished I could have seen one take off.

rkc

Destroyer · #4 07-21-2011, 09:49 AM

At a time when we're ending our space program and disolving most of NASA the Chinese are investing billions and billions in developing their own space program... kind of makes you wonder if we're not asleep at the switch again.

In all cases the shuttle landed safely @ 6am this morning, marking the end of the shuttle program. Like Willy said.. God bless them all!!!

RWilson2526 · #5 07-21-2011, 05:56 PM

Well you know those bad boys have been flying for 30 years.....I dont know anyone that drive cars that old.....We can take a quarter of what the space shuttle program cost and seed some of these new entrepenuerial companies racing to come up with a new space plane....I think NASA is suffering from the same thing that the rest of our government is ...they are just caught up in too much bueracracy and too reliant on federal dollars.... We wont be on the side line for long....

phatdaddy · #6 07-21-2011, 07:38 PM

we were working on the east side of orlando 10-12 years ago and they had a morning launch. we were able to see & feel it 30 miles inland. pretty amazing stuff

and don't forget tang

Monkey Butler · #7 07-21-2011, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

and don't forget tang

Can you still get Tang?

I'm eternally thankful for Velcro, especially as gravity and time take its toll on my (heavenly) body.

Destroyer · #8 07-21-2011, 10:00 PM

Well, Tang was but one of many things that came out of the space program. IC Chips, LCD's, LED's and a host of other things are all products that were either invented or enhanced in order to fill a need in the program. Even Velcro, (which was first invented by a Scotsman that wondered why Thistles stuck to his dogs coat, looked at them under a microscope, saw the tiny curved barbs, and then ruined several of his wife's irons trying to duplicate the barb) was further enhanced by the space program. Ear thermometers, useful for checking the temperature of squirming children, are based on metal coatings technology developed for space helmets. Smoke detectors, hand-held vacuum cleaners, water filters and ergonomic furniture are just some of the many household items first developed for use in space. The highly efficient foam insulation used in new homes and boats was first used to insulate fuel tanks on liquid-fueled rockets. Portable X-ray machines, programmable pacemakers and many surgical tools were all pioneered as part of the space program. Concentrated baby foods, as well as the freeze-dried instant mixes we feed our kids, were first consumed in space. Many of the biofeedback techniques used to reduce stress were first developed for use by astronauts. Satellites have revolutionized telecommunications and the Global Positioning System (GPS) helps every one of us with piloting our boats and finding our way when we're driving, as well as helping airplanes and large ships locate their position to within 10 feet anywhere in the world. The list goes on and on. Studies have shown that for every $1 spent on space development, $7 have been returned to the economy in the form of a new product or service. Truly a remarkable period in our history. I hope it's not over. I hope and pray that I get to see another American landing on the moon before I die. It's been over 40 years already. (Yesterday was the anniversary of the first one.. July 20, 1969)