End of the Space Shuttle Program

Yeah, I know this is pretty much old news, but I'm kinda surprised we didn't have any forums on the end of the space shuttle program in the US. I mean, it kinda feels like that creative drive from the 60's just...fizzled out. To be completely honest, I still wish that we could still continue to send people to space, if only to jumpstart interest in science and space.

We can still continue to send people to space. It's just that further steps require considerably more investment.

Obama really Screwed The Pooch by cancelling the moon return mission. That was the next step for NASA, not hobo-hopping off Russian rockets and waiting for private craft that won't be operational for 15 years.

Well, when it comes to budget cutting, which comes first? Space program or military?

Also, lets try not to make this too political alright?

edited 13th Jul '11 8:34:17 PM by NexusCell

^ Neither, let's cut something useless like ethanol subsidies, not a trip to the Moon.

We need a way to renew interest in the space program.

Let's clone Kennedy!

Wait. Shit.

Anyway, weren't they going to introduce a new series of spacecrafts? Or was that really cancelled? :/

EDIT: Cut Ethanol subsidies and trim the military budget, I'd say. Not that there's anything wrong with a big military budget, but America's seems a bit, erm, bloated?

In any case, back on topic.

edited 13th Jul '11 8:43:49 PM by Zersk

^ Cancelled completely.

Gorramit. >:/

Say what you will about Bush, but at least he seemed to care about the space program. :/

Gah, off-topic again.

So what now? What's NASA going to do?

edited 13th Jul '11 8:44:18 PM by Zersk

Basically sit on their ass til a new President sends them something to do beyond launch weather satellites.

Space is supposed to be the final frontier...

Okay, that means we really SHOULD clone Kennedy!

-Cough- Anyway...

But it kind of sucks how the States just seemed to lose interest in space after the middle half of the last century. :/ Dammit, wish something could be done about it. >.<

^ Not America's, it seems. :/

Speaking of, I wonder what the other nation's space programs are doing.

edited 13th Jul '11 8:50:47 PM by Zersk

How about we cut oil subsidies?

Well, it looks like China, Russia, and India are taking this opportunity to launch their space programs

Also: Who gives a shit what could have been cut instead. The main point here is what the future of space will be, not We should cut X because in the end, nothing you say will change the fact that the Atlantis will be landing and retiring.

Lucky communist state, former communist state, and former colony of Britain! >:/

Hey wait, a second, Canada was at least one of those things, why don't we have a space program? :/

Yeah, you commies!

Well, current US plans in development are:

increased satellite and probe funding. new telescope heavy lift rocket development extend the life of the space station

Love: Shhhhhh.

^ Hm. :/

edited 13th Jul '11 9:02:39 PM by Zersk

The heavy lift rocket is eventually intended to expand into an asteroid landing, or a mars landing.

BTW, does anybody want to poll people around them for estimates of how much funding NASA gets as part of the federal budget?

edited 13th Jul '11 9:10:12 PM by blueharp

I'm going to guess 1% but I'm probably way off. Edit: Yep, I was off by nearly half. It's only 0.6%

Anyway, this doesn't mean that money is being cut from the budget. It just means that the money is being freed up to do something actually useful.

edited 13th Jul '11 9:31:03 PM by storyyeller

Last estimate was in 2007, where it was 0.60%

[1]◊

Pretty much. The reason our space program is stagnant is because of NASA.

I guess they were too busy falsifying climate data.

edited 13th Jul '11 9:32:03 PM by johnnyfog

Closer than most would be. That's why it's important to poll those around you.

Well they've certainly innovated a lot in their space probes.

P.S. I bet you would get more accurate estimates if you also asked people to estimate how much of the budget Social Security, and Medicare are. They probably over estimate when asked about a single program because they don't think of anything else.

edited 13th Jul '11 9:35:17 PM by storyyeller

By the way, this video pretty much accurately reflects my opinions.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/2482-Once-Upon-a-Time-in-The-Future