JFK has to be rolling in his grave

I cannot believe we are giving up our only means to reach the ISS. Please if anyone knows of any NASA ships that will get us into space and to the ISS other then relying on Russia to get there then please post and let me know.

This just makes me sick

Are you talking about NASA giving up on all their space dreams because the USA would rather spend your tax money on more wars, rather than space exploration and the gains in technological advancements it generates?

Its a bit weird, yeah, id be very annoyed if i was an American after being pushed towards space for 50 years, then BLAM it stops.

reply to post by Biigs


Yes that is exactly what I am talking about. I am very upset about it. Today they flew the discovery ship around like it was a good thing that they are retiring the fleet. I say suck it up and make the repairs and keep the fleet going, unless they have another ship that I don't know about. Is there?

I think we may be assuming too much. If, on one hand, you're right and we have watched the United States willingly cede access to and control of the entire space around our planet, then I am equally horrified and would love to see everyone in power today, in prison tomorrow. Something about national interests and aiding those who aren't among those interests.

It doesn't make sense though..and heck with Obama or Bush. Those are the figure heads and the clowns... The Pentagon and other agencies that run budgets many many times larger than NASA could ever dream of are letting this happen?? They are allowing the last access to space to be slammed shut? Yeah.... I don't believe it.

I'm thinking this is much like the screw up when they decommissioned the SR-71 without realizing the obvious position that put them in. They can be so dense sometimes... Gee whiz...without the SR-71, how ever would we see where we can't be? Uhh.. Doh! Of course, we know Aurora and Phoenix fill those needs....but they hadn't MEANT to make that so obvious by lack of other choices that we could draw no other conclusion. LOL......

Likewise....The shuttle is down and gone... Anyone REALLY think they did this as they ONLY option anyone American has? Yeah.. again.. I don't believe it. Ask the Air Force what happened to the Military Space program the public was well aware of into the latter half of the 60's when the lights went out and that whole thing went black as deep space. (no pun intended....or is it?)

JFK was the President behind the space race, but NIXON was the only President to actually send astronauts to the Moon.

Did you know that every single moon landing happened during the Nixon administration? No other President ever had a moon landing take place during their Presidency.

Originally posted by Stari
I cannot believe we are giving up our only means to reach the ISS. Please if anyone knows of any NASA ships that will get us into space and to the ISS other then relying on Russia to get there then please post and let me know.

This just makes me sick

I agree. 50+ years right down the drain. It was very sad to see Discovery flown around knowing it was going to it's grave in a museum. I really hope there is a replacement and the US isn't replying on Russia, who isn't very faund of the US. The White House is full of stupidity right now.

reply to post by babybunnies


No, I did not know that... but if it wasn't for JFK stating we have to beat the Russians to space then we would never have had the space shuttles. Now we no longer have a way into space... and I think that sucks.

I completely agree, I'm a big space fan and a dream of mine has always been that maybe by the time I'm 70, 80, (I'm 18 now) that I could have the chance to go into space but I'm not sure if that will ever be a possibility now. Sure, you can argue that the private enterprise can pick it up, but I'm not sure it's the same as 5,000+ very smart scientists and innovators at NASA Just my 2 cents

Lets review.

Apollo 17, December 7, 1972, returned to Earth on December 19 after an approximately 12-day mission.

Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, (dubbed Apollo 18), in July 1975, was the first joint U.S.–Soviet space flight, and the last flight of an Apollo spacecraft.

STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on April 12, 1981, and returned to Earth on April 14.

Nearly a 6 year gap NASA couldn't send a manned spacecraft to orbit. Disregarding the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project we have an 8 and a half year gap NASA was without a manned orbital launch platform.

So don't get all worked up already. If NASA HAD to launch a manned craft to orbit I'd say in a month's time something can be assembled in production right now, or already built. There certainly are several heavy lift rocket platforms with the power to do the job, getting a seat in a can on top is not really that big of a deal.

What we see here is a political decision, not a technology gap.

Some stats i dug up for another thread about the costs involved might be relevant here, lets just put then in and see what you think.

Originally posted by Biigs
$707 billion spend on the military in 2005 which is 19% of GDP (2005), since the military eats up the space races technology would it not make sense to keep nasa doing what its doing for a measly 0.14% of the GDP?

And thats 2005 when the shuttle was used A LOT....

reply to post by brendanj207


I just don't understand why our government would give up our only means to Space. What if Russia or the other countries that have means to outer space puts up a defense from space. America would be screwed.

And you are right, now the kids of america can no longer dream of being an astronaut. What is becoming of this continent that my father fought for.

reply to post by Illustronic


I hope you are right. Because leaving this job to the millionaires or billionaires is not a bright idea IMO.

Originally posted by Stari
reply to post by brendanj207

 

I just don't understand why our government would give up our only means to Space. What if Russia or the other countries that have means to outer space puts up a defense from space. America would be screwed.

And you are right, now the kids of america can no longer dream of being an astronaut. What is becoming of this continent that my father fought for.

Defense (offense) in space wouldn't require a manned spacecraft to defend, in fact an unmanned spacecraft would be preferred. There are a myriad of craft's capable of shooting enough firepower to down a spacecraft or satellite in orbit.

Here is an interesting one that has been in use with satellite launches under it's belt, looks economical too.



Pegasus XL rocket

NASA is just a front for the MIC's real space program, a program in which "shuttles" have been obsolete for decades, a program which receives more funding than NASA could ever dream. If you really believe the MIC would cede control of space to Russia or China or India or whoever, you'd have to be crazy. You think these guys are getting trillions of dollars for war and spending it all on land based technology? Not a chance in hell.

Ok, my boyfriend just came in from fishing and told me that there is a ship in the making so I googled it and he is right.

www.nasa.gov...

I sincerely hope that NASA keeps at least one of the shuttles available to use until the Orion is done. But I wanted to end this thread with an I am sorry but thank you for letting me vent lol

For everything that exploring space did for us, solar energy, cordless tools (and decent batteries for them), carbon fiber, freeze drying and many many more, all for a fraction of a percent of investment of the nations GDP - as well as inspiring and providing drive for a nations citizens to dreams and work hard for the future we read in all the sci fi books.

Yeah not worth it, cut the budget! *sarcasm*

How about, give them more?

reply to post by Stari


Orion was cancelled by Obama, and is now shelved. Many components complete, near complete, and in use like the SRBs strapped to Deltas and Atlas's medium and heavy lift platforms.

Here's an Atlas V medium, indicating 5 SRBs launching New Horizons to the fastest earth escape velocity to date.



Here's a comical video anticipating the Obama announcement to extend funding for manned spacecraft beyond earth orbit.



We know how that turned out now.

The idea of a space partnership with the Russians isn't new. The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, which created NASA, called for the space agency to pursue international cooperative efforts when appropriate. In 1961, President Kennedy repeatedly advocated for joint U.S.-Soviet (Russian) cooperation in space exploration. At the Vienna Summit, he even suggested a joint lunar mission to Khruschev, but Soviet insistence on tying such cooperation to a nuclear disarmament agreement was a stumbling block. Kennedy again proposed a joint U.S.-Soviet moon mission in a 1963 speech before the United Nations.

history.nasa.gov...

reply to post by Stari


The next shuttle to be built is known as Orion. I think the project has suffered set backs, but it was originally scheduled for testing and eventual moon missions in 2014. A quick search should turn up some links for you.

And the space program isn't entirely stopping. The Russians have enough rental equipment to keep NASA going for a few years. It's saving them money, that will hopefully be able to get some projects going in the future. But with the way the us government keeps messing with our tax dollars and quanta give easing..... Who knows what will happen with our plans for space.

The loss of the shuttle is sad but not a calamity. The replacement is the Space X Dragon Capsule and Falcon launcher. That should be docking with the ISS this month and its an american private company. Don't see the problem with that.

NASA should be funded to develop the next generation of technology not continually repeat itself running a bus.

The problem is that with the LEO transport business going commercial there should be a push to send NASA on a more profound objective. Thats whats missing.