Thread: new Space Shuttle snafu

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Nasa considers shuttle shelf-life

You can't make this stuff up! So, here's the sitch:

NASA has already started phasing out shuttle flights. The Russians were supposed to be flyin' Soyuz's up to the space station till 2015.

'Course now, there's a little problem....

And, both Obama and McCain favor continuing the shuttle.

So now, Nasa, after having already cancelled a bunch of contracts and laid off a bunch of really smart people, they're trying to figure out what it would cost to hire 'em all back again and re-acquire spare parts and all that!

Your tax dollars at work....

/facepalm

These guys have no idea how to run a space program.

Originally Posted by Ausinus

/facepalm

These guys have no idea how to run a space program.

Prescisely. The US space program has been a mess since the Apollo program ended.

The current space shuttles and their launch vehicles are old, unsafe and cost far too much to maintain, launch and recycle. The US should have partnered with the aerospace industry back in the 80's and pushed development of a vehicle that flies into and back from space. Instead we now focus on redeveloping the technology of Apollo with an eye towards returning to the moon.

Interesting thread nonsqtr.

Originally Posted by Bourne

Prescisely. The US space program has been a mess since the Apollo program ended.

The current space shuttles and their launch vehicles are old, unsafe and cost far too much to maintain, launch and recycle. The US should have partnered with the aerospace industry back in the 80's and pushed development of a vehicle that flies into and back from space. Instead we now focus on redeveloping the technology of Apollo with an eye towards returning to the moon.

Interesting thread nonsqtr.

I live 5 minutes from Jhonson's and work as a contractor with NASA, Lockeed and Boeing. To say that the space program is a mess is to totally ignore the huge accomplishments that have been made over the years by NASA and Nasa contractors.

The space shuttle was built for one thing. To carry cargo and flight crew. Trust me, the new CEV is comparable to the Apollo craft in looks alone. The technology that's going into that thing is state of the and people working on it are some of the brightest around.