STS-135 - The Final Space Shuttle Mission

PermaBanned · 7 Jul 2011 at 23:43

Mik3 said:
Very sad that this is the end of the shuttles.

Also James Webb telescope will probably be cancelled now.

Sad day for astronuts.

It's not 'will probably', it's 'could possibly'. Even so it's a shame that it's even a consideration this far into the project, especially after the recent manufacturing milestone. The ESA is highly involved anyway, would cancelling it not be a breach of contract?

The thing about Webb is that it actually looks like a satellite, not just an (albeit incredibly impressive) toilet paper tube wrapped in kitchen foil. And as we all know - looks are everything

Glaucus · 8 Jul 2011 at 00:05

NASA said it is still committed so it certainly isn't canned yet.

Marine Iguana · 8 Jul 2011 at 02:32

PermaBanned · 8 Jul 2011 at 03:03

Cosimo · 8 Jul 2011 at 09:09

Cosimo · 8 Jul 2011 at 09:12

Although fueling is underway the forecast remains at only 30% favourable conditions for launch today.

GJ02 · 8 Jul 2011 at 09:36

have they ever experimented with sex in space ?

im in work for the launch

if it goes ahead today

sbi5ar · 8 Jul 2011 at 09:37

simulatorman said:
Although fueling is underway the forecast remains at only 30% favourable conditions for launch today.

*fingers crossed!!!* Although it has been cancelled under more favourable conditions

I was reading a "tweet" from "Prof. Brian Cox" yesterday (inverted commas as I don't think it is actually him that tweets) which said that

1) the cost of NASA is 0.13% of the USA's GDP and brings in a 9x return...
2) the amount money required to fund NASA was the same as the british bank bailout...
3) the war in Iraq cost the same as a manned mission to mars...

Why is the government so reluctant to fund science projects such as NASA if they bring in a 9x return?

I'm assuming one answer is... there is no oil on mars

/joke

TheMightyTen · 8 Jul 2011 at 10:02

PermaBanned said:
snip

That's all very well except that currently there are more space missions currently running than would ever have been imaginable. We have active probes orbiting, stationed on, or travelling to: the Sun, Mercury, Venus, The Moon, Mars, the dwarf planet Ceres & the asteroid 4 Vesta, Saturn, Pluto and the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko add to that the various space telescopes and observatories. We also have Voyager 1 & Voyager 2 still active and heading out of the Solar System with Voyager 2 now reaching the boundry of the Heliosphere.

We certainly aren't slacking on the exploration front, we don't need to risk peoples life in space to push the boundries of human achievement. We now live in some ways in a far more exciting space age than 50s/60s peak of manned space flight.

Iconic as it may have been, the Shuttle program is a very expensive white elephant in the 21st century and no longer fit for purpose having never really achieved the lofty aims laid down upon it's inception.

Cosimo · 8 Jul 2011 at 10:10

We are now in a planned two hour hold. Current weather conditions are in a no go state.

LordSplodge · 8 Jul 2011 at 11:00

End of an era. So sad. Mankind's future is in space, to turn inwards is a big mistake.

As Commander Jeff Sinclair said in Babylon 5:

No. We have to stay here. And there's a simple reason why. Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics, and you'll get ten different answers, but there's one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on. Whether it happens in a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years, eventually our Sun will grow cold and go out. When that happens, it won't just take us. It'll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-Tzu, and Einstein, and Morobuto, and Buddy Holly, and Aristophanes, and - all of this - all of this - was for nothing. Unless we go to the stars.

PermaBanned · 8 Jul 2011 at 11:37

GJ02 said:
have they ever experimented with sex in space ?

im in work for the launch if it goes ahead today

I think both America and Russia have done tests on the matter, not released the results publicly however

So we're on schedule, but it's unlikely that the launch will actually go ahead today?

JAYJT29 · 8 Jul 2011 at 11:38

LordSplodge said:
End of an era. So sad. Mankind's future is in space, to turn inwards is a big mistake.

As Commander Jeff Sinclair said in Babylon 5:

Thats why its the shuttles last mission, to go further into space the vehicles used will have no wings.
Gutted to though as the shuttles are awesome!

Jay

LordSplodge · 8 Jul 2011 at 11:51

JAYJT29 said:
Thats why its the shuttles last mission, to go further into space the vehicles used will have no wings.
Gutted to though as the shuttles are awesome!

Jay

The shuttles are, indeed, awesome. The problem is we have nothing to replace them. No workhorse for low earth orbit. If we cannot manage that how the Hell can we manage getting beyond our local Earth-Moon system?

Short sighted idiotic politicians too interested in kickbacks from military contracts and oil companies are the problem.

Glaucus · 8 Jul 2011 at 12:43

LordSplodge said:
The shuttles are, indeed, awesome. The problem is we have nothing to replace them. No workhorse for low earth orbit. If we cannot manage that how the Hell can we manage getting beyond our local Earth-Moon system?

Short sighted idiotic politicians too interested in kickbacks from military contracts and oil companies are the problem.

That's the problem, it's a sad day to see them go, but they need replacing and I have no problem with commercialising the launches. It'll bring in revenue to further research and allow NASA to concentrate on science and the bigger picture like going to mars.
It's just a shame it's ending before a replacement, shame NASA cancelled the replacement many many years ago and shame we can build an ISS but seemingly can't collaborate for a space vehicle, like skylon or one of a hundred other vehicles should be backed by the international space program.

Cosimo · 8 Jul 2011 at 13:19

Crew are boarding and fingets crossed for the weather.

Longbow · 8 Jul 2011 at 13:58

Who typed that @ on screen?

PermaBanned · 8 Jul 2011 at 14:00

Not just me then? It was an 'X' before, i thought it was an ad

EDIT: Woo, quindar tones!

PermaBanned · 8 Jul 2011 at 15:02

Haha - in the comments: "We want the yellow pipe back!"

Cosimo · 8 Jul 2011 at 15:22

Watching it on CNN at the moment.