Say goodbye to the United States manned space program

[lcstorc]

Well, it is time to say goodbye. Today shortly before noon is the final launch of the Space Shuttle program. It is the shuttle Atlantis the only Orbiter in the fleet that has not yet been retired.
It's been a great but sometimes heart-wrenching era, but like all good things is coming to an end.
With no new vehicle even on the drawing board it will be at least several years before the US is again able to send humans into space and then it will be on a privately owned vehicle. We will now be relying on the Russian Souyez program to launch our astronauts to the Space Station.
Godspeed Atlantis.

 

[Reefmack]

Kinda sad to see it come to an end.

 

[BigAl07]

Dang! I knew all of this already but actually seeing it and "Reading it" is really sad.

My brother and I wanted to fly down for the launch but more often than not it gets delayed for days which isn't practical for us. Oh well

Thanks Lynn I know the Space Program has been a big part of your life for a good while now. Tell Frank HOWDY

 

[lcstorc]

This is not my pic and is not for public use. I know the photographer and he has given me permission to use it for this purpose.
Goodbye Atlantis.

 

[BigAl07]

Awesome pic Lynn!! WOW!!

 

[lcstorc]

He is an awesome photographer. We have 4 of his pieces hanging in our house.
Here is his site.
Great guy.
TurboFox Photography

 

[lcstorc]

She is up and away
Godspeed Atlantis

 

[BigAl07]

Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off - CNN.com

 

[BigAl07]

Wow! I just watched a replay of the launch and I gotta say I got really choked up with MAJOR chills. I've always gotten a little like this with any lift-off but this one was much more intense! I can't believe that's "All she wrote".

 

[BigAl07]

She made it home Safe & Sound!

Bittersweet and with a long sigh... "It's over!"


‪Atlantis's Final Landing at Kennedy Space Center‬‏ - YouTube

 

[Frankie]

Very sad. I am a huge space shuttle fan.

I think we should not use the Russians to go into space but instead use that money for developing our next method of space travel. There's nothing up there we need to do anyhow over the next few years. We need to put all the resources into our programs. Not Russia's.

 

[lcstorc]

Actually Frankie, there is a lot we can learn while at the Space Station. IMO we do still need to keep a presence there. It does royally stink that we have to rely on someone else regardless of who to get our scientists there, but that is what the powers that were decided to do. Actually we are not even trying to build a spacecraft that will go to and from the space station, which was primarily built with our money to begin with. We are concentrating our money designing a craft to go farther. I believe back to the moon is their next goal and then theoretically mars. There are some private businesses that are working on spacecraft that could/would go to the space station and then we could buy seats on that instead of buying them from the Russians but for the foreseeable future we will be relying on someone else to take our scientists to the station.
Without getting into politics I do need to dispel a common misunderstanding. Our current President was not the one to cancel the shuttle program. He cancelled the program that was supposed to be next. Regardless, what is done is done. They have already largely dismantled Discovery and Endeavour and will start on Atlantis shortly.
Meanwhile, my search for a job just got a lot harder. 1500 people were let go after the landing Thursday so there is even more competition for jobs around here.

 

[Frankie]

Great infomation Lynn. I was not aware that there was talk about Obama and the space program. These days when I hear that name I tend to tune out......

Better not go there though.

I will keep your job search in prayer.

Frank