Wow, wow, wow, wow, and wow again!

That's a stunning photo. I love the images taken from space. This little blue planet really is a sight to marvel at.

A great shot, and one that we won't get to see too many more of. A pity, but we'll have to look to the future and hope that we are going to have a better programme of exploration with the next generations.

Now you can see the shuttle as an alien could. Soak it in while you still can, the US is about to semi-retire from space now that the STS program is coming to a close and the Constellation program is on the Obama Administration´s chopping block.

This image is another reason why IMO the shuttle should not be scrapped. But hey, the reasons for doing so speak for themselves. Sad.

As for Obama chopping block, I do understand why.

The current global recession has set the space programme back by at least 20 years.

There just aint enough money out there now (so we're told - but that's another thread).

Thanks for all the replies guys

Yeah, it truly is a shame that the space program is getting massive budget cuts

But fortunately, the private sector seems to be coming up, so lets keep our fingers crossed

Wow, I've seen a lot of photos from the Shuttle missions over the years, but I've never seen a shot quite like that before. Beautiful.

Originally posted by ZombieJesus
Yeah, it truly is a shame that the space program is getting massive budget cuts

Actually it's not. NASA's budget is getting increased. It's just the Constellation program that's getting cut (if Congress approves).

That pic is amazing, you can see the shuttle so clearly. It's absolutely breath taking to see how things look from space, makes you feel so insignificant.

Thanks for posting that's a great picture