I'm sad (and a bit politically angry) about the last launch.........

[Joanne]

I live in Houston (for simpicity's sake). I know people in the space industry.

 

I've lived in Orlando where I felt "connected" to the industry, also. I could see launches from my patio when I was single.

 

I'm sad. We used to go to the Space Center's "homeschool day" every year. The kids still talk about it, the exhibits, the information.

 

One of my relatives is really a rocket scientist (and also a Minister, and female).

[mommaduck]

I don't understand. WHAT about it are you upset about?

[Starr]

I'm sad and don't quite understand the end. We watched the last shuttle take off on the computer today. :( Last winter ds and I drove for days to watch one live in Florida because we still could.

[Cheryl in NM]

Even beyond the nostalgic feelings and the job losses we now have to pay Russia to transport our astronauts as well as astronauts from other countries. We have contracts with Europe, Japan and Canada to provide means to space so now we have to pay Russia for the astronauts from these countries to go to space as well.

 

It was a stupid move by a government that can't think past the end of their nose. :glare:

[AuntieM]

I live in Houston (for simpicity's sake). I know people in the space industry.

 

I've lived in Orlando where I felt "connected" to the industry, also. I could see launches from my patio when I was single.

 

I'm sad. We used to go to the Space Center's "homeschool day" every year. The kids still talk about it, the exhibits, the information.

 

One of my relatives is really a rocket scientist (and also a Minister, and female).

 

As a former resident if the Sace Coast area and as a kid who wanted to be an astronaut, I feel as you do.

 

While I believe that private industry may have more money to invest, I do not trust their motives. And I can't help but think of all the good, hardworking people who will be out of work very soon.

 

Call me somber, but I see it as a hallmark of the decline of the United States.

[ereks mom]

 

Call me somber, but I see it as a hallmark of the decline of the United States.

 

:iagree:

[Cheryl in NM]

As a former resident if the Sace Coast area and as a kid who wanted to be an astronaut, I feel as you do.

 

While I believe that private industry may have more money to invest, I do not trust their motives. And I can't help but think of all the good, hardworking people who will be out of work very soon.

 

Call me somber, but I see it as a hallmark of the decline of the United States.

 

:iagree: It also puts us out of the running for any competitiveness in space. Our presence there is dependent on our competitor.

[JudoMom]

 

Call me somber, but I see it as a hallmark of the decline of the United States.

 

:iagree:

[mommaduck]

???

[JudoMom]

???

 

:confused:

[mommaduck]

:confused:

 

I asked a question and no a single person responded (I must be on a lot of ignore lists). I'm visiting a friend; she just explained it to me. I had no idea!

[creekland]

As a former resident if the Sace Coast area and as a kid who wanted to be an astronaut, I feel as you do.

 

While I believe that private industry may have more money to invest, I do not trust their motives. And I can't help but think of all the good, hardworking people who will be out of work very soon.

 

Call me somber, but I see it as a hallmark of the decline of the United States.

 

:iagree: I'm finding myself quite bummed today and it bugs me that my country would rather pay unemployment to these folks (plus those supported by them) and $$ to Russia for future space travel rather than use tax dollars to continue our own space program.

 

I guess we'll see what private industry does, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

I LIKED the US Space Program from as young as I can remember (back to Apollo).

[LidiyaDawn]

wait what? There's not going to be anymore NASA, space stuff??

 

obviously i missed some news…[it happens]

[QueenCat]

wait what? There's not going to be anymore NASA, space stuff??

 

obviously i missed some news…[it happens]

 

The Space Shuttle program is done with, NOT NASA. NASA will continue...

[Margo out of lurking]

I get you, Joanne. It was one more reason for me to tear up during the launch today, and then cry trying to explain to my kids.:patriot::crying:

[mommaduck]

Your question could have been taken two ways. I initially thought you were asking why anyone would take issue to it. Now it seems you just didn't know about it. So maybe others assumed the first as well?

 

Hadn't thought about it like that. Because I thought she meant the "last launch" as in the most recent; I didn't know it was THE LAST launch. I had absolutely no clue. We cut off our DISH for now, so I'm not really getting much news unless I see it on the internet or hear about it here. That was why I asked. The OP seemed very vague and assumed everyone knew what was going on. I was asking because I figured something happened that I didn't know about and was curious. My friend explained that Houston didn't get a shuttle (yeah, that's not right!). I think it's terrible that we put people out of work and send money to another country, rather than working through this to make it MORE profitable to our country and our people.

[creekland]

The Space Shuttle program is done with, NOT NASA. NASA will continue...

 

True, but what I fell in love with was manned space flight, not satellite launches. Seeing the very first night launch of the shuttle (in person) is what led me into getting a Physics degree from college. I didn't end up working for NASA, but at the time, that was my goal.

[creekland]

Hadn't thought about it like that. Because I thought she meant the "last launch" as in the most recent; I didn't know it was THE LAST launch. I had absolutely no clue. We cut off our DISH for now, so I'm not really getting much news unless I see it on the internet or hear about it here. That was why I asked. The OP seemed very vague and assumed everyone knew what was going on. I was asking because I figured something happened that I didn't know about and was curious. My friend explained that Houston didn't get a shuttle (yeah, that's not right!). I think it's terrible that we put people out of work and send money to another country, rather than working through this to make it MORE profitable to our country and our people.

 

Sorry. I took it as you wondering why anyone would be bummed, so I just skipped over it thinking, "to each our own."

[Jenny in Atl]

But wait... isn't this what many here want, the end of big government programs. Let private industry take up the space program. Let the free market and big business decided whether we continue to explore space, if it's cost effective and brings big $$ to their shareholders. :tongue_smilie:

[Crissy]

Your question could have been taken two ways. I initially thought you were asking why anyone would take issue to it. Now it seems you just didn't know about it. So maybe others assumed the first as well?

 

I thought her question was directed at Joanne, and it doesn't appear that she's been back to this thread since her initial post.

[creekland]

But wait... isn't this what many here want, the end of big government programs. Let private industry take up the space program. Let the free market and big business decided whether we continue to explore space, if it's cost effective and brings big $$ to their shareholders. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

I'm sure it is. Personally, I've always been more moderate with no apologies. There are certain things I like seeing our government do. National Parks are one. Our space program is another. Other things I'd rather they mostly stay out of and let states handle. Education fits in there as does most business regulation (except clean air/water), welfare, and healthcare issues.

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

I'm sure it is. Personally, I've always been more moderate with no apologies. There are certain things I like seeing our government do. National Parks are one. Our space program is another. Other things I'd rather they mostly stay out of and let states handle. Education fits in there as does most business regulation (except clean air/water), welfare, and healthcare issues.

 

Amen.

 

This is a sad day.

[ChristineW]

Even beyond the nostalgic feelings and the job losses we now have to pay Russia to transport our astronauts as well as astronauts from other countries. We have contracts with Europe, Japan and Canada to provide means to space so now we have to pay Russia for the astronauts from these countries to go to space as well.

 

It was a stupid move by a government that can't think past the end of their nose. :glare:

 

SpaceX rockets should be ready by next year. Also, the spin I keep hearing from the science community is that this frees up $$$ for the Mars program and other deep space exploration.

[HelenNotOfTroy]

I don't mind giving up the shuttles if NASA is going to move forward with other types of manned spacecraft.

[creekland]

SpaceX rockets should be ready by next year. Also, the spin I keep hearing from the science community is that this frees up $$$ for the Mars program and other deep space exploration.

 

Except the debt ceiling/budget axe hasn't finished falling yet. We'll see what happens. The speculation I've heard hasn't been promising, but I might just be hearing from the pessimists.

[jamijoy]

My dh and oldest son were able to visit my MIL for the launch, who lives right by Cape Canaveral where it was launched from. I'm thrilled that they got to witness it (we live in Texas).

 

I'm also sad that it's the end for now. I've thought about what to tell our kids who want to be astronauts when they grow up and figured I'll tell them they can be the first astronauts to start up a new space flight program and they betterstart designing a new space craft.

 

I've heard about the 'turning it over to the private sector' idea (hey, then Lance Bass from N'Sync can really go on his space trip!) but who knows what will happen.

 

The space program was one of the few government programs that didn't seem to be a corrupt, failing program.

[cathmom]

OK, I understand why other people are upset/nostalgic, but personally, it doesn't bother me.

[FaithManor]

Our 4-H competitive rocketry team is bummed today...It's hard. We keep telling them there is future in aerospace, there is a future in engineering, astronomy, etc. but these are really, really difficult fields and without the carrot of the manned space program, the allure of the astronaut, etc. well, it's tougher to keep them motivated.

 

As one of them put it, "I guess if I want to go to college for aerospace engineering, I better hope that some other country wants to hire me." Part of me wants to tell her not to think that way, that private industry will pick up where the space program left off...but, I'm not so sure. It takes an extraordinary, astronomical amount of money to get to space, much less, work in space, and with private industry, you don't pursue science just for the sake thereof....dollar signs and potentially gigantic profits have to be a very real possibility or the board of directors just isn't interested. Additionally, if this signals a further contraction of federally funded space research (something that I think is a very real possibility), then as NASA shrinks so will Boeing, McDonald Douglas, Raytheon, Marshall, etc. These companies will take up contracts for other countries and so our wise 8th grader's prediction that aerospace jobs will not be located here, could end up being true. I hope not! But, it is certainly a possibility.

 

Faith

[learningmama]

I know cuts have to be made and sacrifices put in place in this day and age, but I'm getting tired of things that have been around for so long disappearing. In my own life- businesses in my hometown, my husband's bible college, my childbirth ed program (ALACE), friends jobs, favorite stores/restaurants, schools (even though we're homeschoolers I hate it when school buildings close),etc. It's just the way the cookie crumbles and it's sad. Our country is definitely changing shape.

[creekland]

Our 4-H competitive rocketry team is bummed today...It's hard. We keep telling them there is future in aerospace, there is a future in engineering, astronomy, etc. but these are really, really difficult fields and without the carrot of the manned space program, the allure of the astronaut, etc. well, it's tougher to keep them motivated.

 

As one of them put it, "I guess if I want to go to college for aerospace engineering, I better hope that some other country wants to hire me." Part of me wants to tell her not to think that way, that private industry will pick up where the space program left off...but, I'm not so sure. It takes an extraordinary, astronomical amount of money to get to space, much less, work in space, and with private industry, you don't pursue science just for the sake thereof....dollar signs and potentially gigantic profits have to be a very real possibility or the board of directors just isn't interested. Additionally, if this signals a further contraction of federally funded space research (something that I think is a very real possibility), then as NASA shrinks so will Boeing, McDonald Douglas, Raytheon, Marshall, etc. These companies will take up contracts for other countries and so our wise 8th grader's prediction that aerospace jobs will not be located here, could end up being true. I hope not! But, it is certainly a possibility.

 

Faith

 

:iagree: :(

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Our 4-H competitive rocketry team is bummed today...It's hard. We keep telling them there is future in aerospace, there is a future in engineering, astronomy, etc. but these are really, really difficult fields and without the carrot of the manned space program, the allure of the astronaut, etc. well, it's tougher to keep them motivated.

 

As one of them put it, "I guess if I want to go to college for aerospace engineering, I better hope that some other country wants to hire me." Part of me wants to tell her not to think that way, that private industry will pick up where the space program left off...but, I'm not so sure. It takes an extraordinary, astronomical amount of money to get to space, much less, work in space, and with private industry, you don't pursue science just for the sake thereof....dollar signs and potentially gigantic profits have to be a very real possibility or the board of directors just isn't interested. Additionally, if this signals a further contraction of federally funded space research (something that I think is a very real possibility), then as NASA shrinks so will Boeing, McDonald Douglas, Raytheon, Marshall, etc. These companies will take up contracts for other countries and so our wise 8th grader's prediction that aerospace jobs will not be located here, could end up being true. I hope not! But, it is certainly a possibility.

 

Faith

 

Very, very difficult conversations here, too. My son just finished a rocketry unit with his Civil Air Patrol squadron. Yesterday, they were in the field shooting off their rockets and talking about the shuttle launch.

 

We have a new aerospace charter school in the neighborhood as well as a very active Civil Air Patrol and an Aviation and Aerospace Technology School.

 

We'll have to watch and see. What should the young people think, when their nation hollers about STEM careers and curtails the space program at the same time?

[Brigitte]

The Space Shuttle program is done with, NOT NASA. NASA will continue...

 

Wasn't the expected life of the Space Shuttle supposed to be 25 years? We have far exceeded that and given the bits and pieces falling off the shuttles every launch, I think for safety sake it is time to retire the program. It is unfortunate that nothing has been prepared to replace it and that the country can't really afford it.

[JudoMom]

Your question could have been taken two ways. I initially thought you were asking why anyone would take issue to it. Now it seems you just didn't know about it. So maybe others assumed the first as well?

 

That's what I assumed as well--that you were confused why we'd be upset about it. I didn't mean to ignore your question :grouphug:!

[FaithManor]

What should the young people think, when their nation hollers about STEM careers and curtails the space program at the same time?

 

 

So true. I know most people don't see this as the end of the space program, but what I do fear is that it will lead to the shrinking of it. It is very easy to say, "The shuttle program has outlived it's usefulness, so let's shut it down and put that money to the Mars program, or to put a man back on the moon, etc." but then turn right around and just simply axe the budget. Given the current economic crisis in this country, it is a very, very real possibility.

 

Faith

[Cindyg]

My husband's recent Facebook status: "NASA has been transformed from a space launch organization to a climate change research organization, which is a major mistake."

[Cheryl in NM]

SpaceX rockets should be ready by next year. Also, the spin I keep hearing from the science community is that this frees up $$$ for the Mars program and other deep space exploration.

 

We will have to pay for our astronauts to use that. We've already contracted with Russia to pay them to take us, the Japanese, Canadians and Europeans to the ISS. We are still under contract to help maintain the ISS so we have to go whether we have our own shuttle or not. We have to pay someone else, even our own private businesses, to fulfill our other obligations. This decision could not have been thought out fully. We were already spending money on Mars and other deep space exploration, only now we cannot experiment on our own. We have no privacy to advance.

[Cheryl in NM]

I don't mind giving up the shuttles if NASA is going to move forward with other types of manned spacecraft.

 

They are not.

[Cheryl in NM]

Wasn't the expected life of the Space Shuttle supposed to be 25 years? We have far exceeded that and given the bits and pieces falling off the shuttles every launch, I think for safety sake it is time to retire the program. It is unfortunate that nothing has been prepared to replace it and that the country can't really afford it.

 

Our shuttles are more up to date and safer than Russia's. Now we will be paying for our astronauts to ride in substandard equipment to fulfill obligations that our government made. Too bad our government isn't concerned with the obligation to our astronauts safety. A Russian shuttle crashed just a few years ago.

[Caroline]

As a scientist who worked on NASA zero gravity projects, I am so sad about the end of the shuttle era. I have typed and deleted my thoughts because I think they are too political, but I will share this...

 

A friend of mine from grad school is on Atlantis. Dr. Sandra Magnus was a woman on a mission to become an astronaut when I knew her. I remember when she was accepted into the astronaut program. And I have never seen a picture or footage of her working for NASA where she has not had a huge smile on her face. I remember talking to her after she first moved to Houston. She rode the elevator with a woman who had just returned from an extended stay at the ISS. Sandy was awestruck that she was in the same elevator. Who will be awestruck riding in an elevator with Sandy now?

[kalanamak]

Well, for an opposing view, IMO most manned flights are a waste of money. Robots don't need oxygen. Plenty of wonderful technology can come out of unmanned efforts in space, too, although it isn't as "thrilling" to the average taxpayer.

[kalanamak]

I know cuts have to be made and sacrifices put in place in this day and age, but I'm getting tired of things that have been around for so long disappearing. In my own life- businesses in my hometown, my husband's bible college, my childbirth ed program (ALACE), friends jobs, favorite stores/restaurants, schools (even though we're homeschoolers I hate it when school buildings close),etc.

 

I have a theory about why we shouldn't want to live forever: we "bond" with a certain number of "the way things are", and the older we get, the more of it we lose. I used to think my father was odd for refusing to go to his hometown because he was sad at all the changes. Now I don't go to mine.

 

We can only have so many loves in our life, and as they snuff out, we cannot embrace news ones at the same rate we did when we were kids. Hence, I suspect I will go to my death with as much calm "it's time" as my folks did.

[cathmom]

I have a theory about why we shouldn't want to live forever: we "bond" with a certain number of "the way things are", and the older we get, the more of it we lose. I used to think my father was odd for refusing to go to his hometown because he was sad at all the changes. Now I don't go to mine.

 

We can only have so many loves in our life, and as they snuff out, we cannot embrace news ones at the same rate we did when we were kids. Hence, I suspect I will go to my death with as much calm "it's time" as my folks did.

 

Wow, that was depressing! :tongue_smilie:

 

I have said that one of the hard things about getting older is how many people and places only exist in your memory, which is pretty much the same thing.

[Lady Florida.]

They are not.

 

They are. I grew up and still live on the Space Coast. My mother and brother were among the many temporary workers who attached tiles to the shuttle vehicles. My dh works in the unmanned space industry. As a teenager, I watched Saturn rockets carry men to the moon. As an adult I stood outside my classroom door with my students and watched the Challenger explode in the sky above us (the high school where I taught is right on the river across from the launch pad). The shuttle program went ten years beyond its expected life span. It's outdated, cumbersome and expensive. It was time for it to end. It was time to move on. When President Bush killed the shuttle program in 2005 it was one of the few times I agreed with him.

 

I have a lot more to say about this, but we're watching Harry Potter Weekend, so I'm trying not to spend too much time on the laptop. There are exciting times ahead for the U.S. space program.

[Lady Florida.]

Our shuttles are more up to date and safer than Russia's. Now we will be paying for our astronauts to ride in substandard equipment to fulfill obligations that our government made. Too bad our government isn't concerned with the obligation to our astronauts safety. A Russian shuttle crashed just a few years ago.

 

We lost 40% of the shuttle fleet along with everyone on board both of them, due to preventable tragedies. In both cases, serious safety issues were willfully ignored.

[Serenade]

 

Call me somber, but I see it as a hallmark of the decline of the United States.

 

I totally agree.

[Impish]

Given the state of the economy, perhaps spending money on space isn't a justifiable cost? I don't know what the rationale was, but that's what comes to mind...just like a family has to trim when things get tough, I'd imagine it would be difficult to justify spending so much money on space exploration when there are so many families struggling, and better places for the government to put the money to benefit more ppl.

 

Of course, that's assuming that the government is using a bit of common sense, which is always a dangerous assumption when discussing ANY government :lol:

[Teachin'Mine]

 

There are exciting times ahead for the U.S. space program.

 

 

I'm hoping that this will prove to be true.

[Cheryl in NM]

They are.

 

The only thing I saw in this article was promises for what they will work on or "are" working on. I didn't see what is going to happen to replace what they are cancelling. The article did state that we will continue to have American presences in the ISS 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The only way that can happen now is if we pay someone to ferry our astronauts up to the ISS. Our equipment has been proven safer than the Russian equipment. Not only has the retirement of the American Space Shuttle Program set America back in the space race, it will also endanger our astronauts lives.

[Cheryl in NM]

We lost 40% of the shuttle fleet along with everyone on board both of them, due to preventable tragedies. In both cases, serious safety issues were willfully ignored.

 

While this is tragic, the last time this happened was over 20 years ago. Since then we have taken great strides to protect our astronauts. The Russian space shuttle is out-dated and dangerous right now.

[Cheryl in NM]

Given the state of the economy, perhaps spending money on space isn't a justifiable cost? I don't know what the rationale was, but that's what comes to mind...just like a family has to trim when things get tough, I'd imagine it would be difficult to justify spending so much money on space exploration when there are so many families struggling, and better places for the government to put the money to benefit more ppl.

 

Of course, that's assuming that the government is using a bit of common sense, which is always a dangerous assumption when discussing ANY government :lol:

 

With the militarization of space a very real possibility there are several other government programs America could and should cut before our space program.