The Shuttle was a MISTAKE?

[Wing Nut]

NASA administrator says space shuttle was a mistake
By Traci Watson
USA TODAY

The space shuttle and International Space Station

[ozzy72]

I think administators and governments are the big mistake. Any venture they get involved in tends to go tits up....
I mean imagine if a government was asked to design a mouse, it'd end up about the size of an elephant and more stupid than a piece of cheddar... or my 10A class!!!!!!!
Personally I think the shuttle showed what we as humans were capable of and our brilliance in overcoming what seemed to be impossible challenges. Without these things in human history we'd still be sitting in caves banging rocks together (special dispensation of Bill & Ted fans)

[Wing Nut]

Sounds to me like the mistake was hiring this guy to be head of NASA.  I understand the Space Station is a big waste of money and I actually agree with that.

But the Shuttle has been the workhorse of the Space Fleet for decades and it seems a bit inappreciative to say that a program that has put dozens of people and hundreds of sattelites into orbit was a failure.   I think that development of the shuttle was a logical step after going to the moon.  How on Earth are we supposed to build ships the size required to go between (our system's) planets, without a reusable form of transportation?  Not to mention, there were only two major incidents in 30 years of the program!

Yes, the shuttles need to be retired and replaced, but they were hardly a failure!  >:(

[Hagar]

I'd better be careful here. I could never see the point of going back to the Moon. The first time was for a very good reason but there's nothing to prove now. I've always thought the whole space program has more political & military significance than scientific.

[Craig.]

Not only did the ISS bring together nations who usually wouldn't consider sharing info that was nessicary. But these future manned missions to the Moon and eventually Mars(especially) will rely on it for support and supplies. It will provide a launch platform saving the need for constant expensive earth launches.

[ozzy72]

Possibly Kevin. I think the ISS is very important, it is helping with our understanding of the effects of space on the human body, development of new medicine and materials and gives us the ability to take our next steps into outer space.
They were talking on the Hungarian news tonight about putting people on Mars! I'm not at all sure I want anyone on my chocolate........

[Hagar]

I think administators and governments are the big mistake. Any venture they get involved in tends to go tits up....

Sorry Mark, Kevin & all you space fans but if it wasn't for politicians NASA & the space program wouldn't exist. Just think about what started it all. I was there at the time all this was happening & I seem to have a longer memory than most.

[JBaymore]

The whole "shuttle flap" is likely caused by people in power just looking to point the finger at someone else for the recent losses of life and the technical glitches. If that stuff hadn't happened .... the same polititians and administrators would be claiming credit for the "clearly visionary job" they have done.

I think that the recent string of problems is something that is simply going to happen is such a risky endeavor that involves so many people and events that require that so many parts all function perfectly.  Risky and expensive ....yes.  But important and worth the risk and expense.... yes too.

IMHO... the space program is VERY important to the human race.  It has the possibility of developing new scientific and medical concepts.  A lot of what we take for granted now came as a result of the earlier space programs.  

At least there may be some hope that when we screw up or blow up this planet... we might have found an alternative somewhere.

best,

....................john

[Hagar]

We've discussed all this before at some length & everyone must know my opinions so I won't labour the point. I've heard all the same old arguments trolled out regarding the benefits to mankind from the space program. There's a certain amount of truth in that but I think this could have been achieved without sending a human being into space at all. As for going to Mars, I never saw any point in that nor much chance of achieving it. I think it's time to remove those rose-tinted spectacles & realise that this is a government agency trying to justify its existence to the people who fund it, the general public. I don't know why this should bother me so much as it's not my tax dollars they're after. At least, I hope not as I have enough problems with my own lot wasting my considerable contribution over the last 46 years. They might just as well have sent that into space for all the good it's done.

[Craig.]

Doug, your money did goto a space agency, the European space agency.

[Hagar]

I was afraid of that Craig.

[Craig.]

I'm not sure the exact %'s but i would imagine at least a little went to the British side of it.

[Woodlouse2002]

Space travel and exploration is a waste of time. Just think if all that time, effort and money had been put into the planet we've got and the planet we're stuck with?

Sure the space race was a lot of fun and an attempt to beat the ruskies, a feat that was only achieved after they gave up. But now, we've been to the moon, it was only necessary once. Bush's pledge to go back there is just a farce, he wanted to get re-elected so he goes and makes a promise that gets all americans sniffy and patriotic, but is in fact just a waste of time as it's not only been done before, but done so conclusively that there's no need to go back and so the second Mr Bush gets kicked out of office in 2008 the next president, if he has an ounce of sense will cancel any preperations of another moon landing.

Just imagine if NASA was disbanded then just think how those countless billions of dollars could help towards stopping global warming or cancelling third world debt?

Going to Mars is even more stupid. What are you going to do when you get there? Just walk around going "ooohhh, it's all red!" before going home again. Pointless.

I still insist that more energy should be put into finding out about the planet upon which we live than shooting off in a rocket to a lump of rock thats 80 million miles away where you might find a lump of ice, but nothings promised.

[jordonj]

Don't forget that our bodies begin to break down in zero gravity...

[Katahu]

Uhhh... Woody, before the mods chastise you about politics, do you wish to be sedated before they get here? Just asking.

Pardon me, but space is never a waste of time. In fact, such things are never a waste of time. Was it a waste of time for Christopher Columbus to travel to what appeared to be the edge of the world? Was it a waste of time to build the hubble when it revealed many unexpected things about the cosmos? Was it a waste of time for Galileo to discuss the possibility that the Earth was never at the center of the cosmos?

It was space that taught us that it's possible for three suns to appear in a single solar system. It was space that encouraged the development of the now-known Orbiter Space Flight Simulator. It was space that taught us the effects of space on the human body. The idea of getting into space was also the reason why human kind [as a whole] has been striving in technology just to get there.

Global warming can never be fixed by human kind. Even if the US is to cease all use of gas-powered cars right now, we will still have the issue of other countries burning fossil fuels. Besides, Global Warming is a force of Mother Nature and we all know that Mother Nature refuses to be predictable or controlled in any way.

What if the cure to aids can be found in zero gravity? What if the cure to alzheimers can also be found there? We will never know if we don't at least try. If finding a cure means having to spend billions for space exploration, then so be it. If a cure is found, then the lives that can be saved will offset the cost.

Sure, we can redirect all of our money to giant telescopes and radio observatories like the one in Aresibo, but radio satellites and telescopes can only go so far.