I have been at the NASA site all day watching and reading about the current and future space shuttle missions. I am happy to see early great signs of one of the best shuttle returns and least amount of damage in memory. The shuttle has a estimated life till 2010, only 4 more years to do 16 flights for space station completion and 1 for hubble repair possibly, before being replaced by a CEV Rocket system.

Here is the current mission STS-121 which shows the landing and other things http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts121/


I am a big fan of space travel

I'm happy that they finally have some success to cheer about although I'm not too optimistic about the shuttle fleet being able to make 16 more flights in 4 years.  I hope for the best for them.  I still wonder if shuttle missions are the way to go, and I wonder if any of the shuttle crew have ever thought about pointing the shuttle into space and seeing how far they could go?

Steph

They will be retiring the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2008.  It will be placed on display at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio once its retired.  It was flown a couple times by an all USAF crew which is why the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton is getting it.  There are plans to house the Shuttle Discovery inside a brand new Space Gallery building that will be completed by then.  The Space Shuttles Endeavor and Atlantis will continue to fly until 2010 to help complete the International Space Station since they have fewer operational hours on their airframes than what Discovery has.  The National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. already has the Space Shuttle Enterprise as part of their inventory. 

Shannon

Well after the space station, they plan to focus on the moon and putting an outpost there. Space shuttle cant land on the moon, nor mars. It could only crash on those two surfaces lol. Next ships/rockets sort of looks like the old Apollo. Not as pretty as the space shuttle, but very functional for what is needed. 3 times larger than Apollo too.

I find that the recent success of the inflatable habitat to be a huge step towards an efficient and effective colonization of our immediate space and possibly the moon.

Not to mention the Mars Rovers.  Wow, did that investment ever pay off and then some.  And then there is everything we are learning about Saturn and Jupiter...

May you live in interesting times. 

Quote from: wickham_kendra on July 17, 2006, 10:22:53 PM
I have been at the NASA site all day watching and reading about the current and future space shuttle missions. I am happy to see early great signs of one of the best shuttle returns and least amount of damage in memory. The shuttle has a estimated life till 2010, only 4 more years to do 16 flights for space station completion and 1 for hubble repair possibly, before being replaced by a CEV Rocket system.

Here is the current mission STS-121 which shows the landing and other things http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts121/


I am a big fan of space travel

One of my earliest memories is watching Gordo Cooper's Mercury/Atlas flight on our black & white TV.  I followed every Gemini & Apollo mission.  Once we had a host of shuttles flying, it was hard to keep up, but I did the best I could.

I also follow the deep space missions.  I counted down the days it would take to go from Jupiter to Saturn, then Uranus and finally Neptune.  I stopped class last year so we could watch live the launch of the Pluto mission.

The CEV is Apollo on steroids, but it is technology that works and has fewer entry risks than the shuttles.  What few people realize is that we are again in a space race - this time with China & Japan.  Both nations are targeting having a permanent colony on the moon.  The objective is to mine metals and other resources that are found.

What has me excited is the privitization of space systems.  No, not turning over national programs.  Rather, privately built manned & unmanned spacecraft.  This is where simple, efficient to use spacecraft will be built.  Spaceshipone is a great example.  And it's growing fast enough to where the FAA is allowing airports to upgrade to become a spaceport - having the ability to handle incoming and outgoing missions.  There is one in New Mexico, which is where Virgin Galactic will be flying out of.  I want to say that there is one in Texas & Florida as well, but don't hold me to that.

Virgin Galactic will be flying spacecraft based onthe successful Spaceshipone design.  Flight testing is supposed to begin in 2008, as I recall.  The first ship is already named.  Enterprise.

Chaunte

The Space Shuttles are strictly designed as orbiters and cannot go into deep space.  They can't carry enough fuel onboard to get to the Moon and come back.  They are working on a new vehicle thats similar to the Saturn V rocket that can reach the Moon and possibly Mars.  I think there is less gravity on Mars than there is here on Earth.  I remember seeing a concept video showing the landing vehicle they came up with that had inflatable balloons all around the outside and it would bounce on the suface of Mars when it lands.  Landing on the suface of Mars using this method look like it would be a very bumpy ride for the astronauts. 

Shannon

So who of you would want to be the first trans astronaut?

Steph

Quote from: Steph on July 18, 2006, 01:20:22 PM
So who of you would want to be the first trans astronaut?

Steph

ME!!!!!  LOL     I would go up in a heartbeat.

Sheila18

Quote from: Steph on July 18, 2006, 01:20:22 PM
So who of you would want to be the first trans astronaut?

Steph

Put her on the launch pad, kick the tires, light the fires and let's go!

Even with the old SRB's.  Just make sure the temperatures stay well above freezing, and there won't be a problem!

BTW.  Virgin Galactic is charging $200,000 per person for a suborbital flight.  Flights are supposed to start 2008.  Give it time, and the prices will come down.

Chaunte

sheila18

Hi Steph,

I believe they have already pointed one out there and it has been traveling for many years...if I recall right it has just recently traveled so far that they are no longer able to communicate with it... I believe it is also why they now realize why space is much larger than they had ever realized...I wish I could think of the name of the shuttle and all the details but I caught part of it I believe in NPR?

Maybe others will know what i am referring to?

Peace,

Taylor

Steph,

You may find this of interst. 

It shows the current, past and future plans for the travel of distance we have done...

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?Sort=Target&Target=Beyond&Era=Present

Peace,
Taylor


Posted at: July 20, 2006, 11:44:58 AM

---

Cindi,

just saw your post...check this link out that I sent to steph...you will find it interesting...I believe it is through NASA.

Peace,
Taylor

sh18

Quote from: cindianna_jones on July 20, 2006, 06:52:31 AM
Would I go to Mars?
No f***king way.

Whoever goes first will not come back. There's this little problem
with the radiation from old Sol.

That and the fact that the martians have this nasty habit of shooting down like half of our probes sent there so far.

Ya'd think we'd have gotten the hint by now.

Quote from: taylor on July 20, 2006, 11:46:38 AM
Steph,

You may find this of interst. 

It shows the current, past and future plans for the travel of distance we have done...

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?Sort=Target&Target=Beyond&Era=Present

Peace,
Taylor


Posted at: July 20, 2006, 11:44:58 AM

---

Cindi,

just saw your post...check this link out that I sent to steph...you will find it interesting...I believe it is through NASA.

Peace,
Taylor

Thanks so much Taylor, I'll check it out.

Steph

Quote from: cindianna_jones on July 20, 2006, 06:52:31 AM

Would supply all of earth's needs for a full year.

And that would make me incredibly rich.

Cindi

That would put you in another quadrant on the political compass real immediately.
Then you could start buying pieces of other planets, exploiting them.
Then you'd be in bidness, huh?
Screw world domination, galactic rule, thass what am talkin bout.

Am happy 2 c the space program being revamped and hopeful that the Hubble still has a chance
sh18

I followed Taylor's link. Kepler's Mission looks promising. Looking for other worlds.