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Will the Shuttle ever fly again?
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:30 am
Posts: 236 Location: Perth, Western Australia ![]() |
They've now found more cracks in the foam on the ET and can't explain them. And they're now saying that there's little likelihood that the May 2006 flight will go ahead.
I notice Griffin quoted as saying that he never wants another NASA program that costs $4.5 billion per year to run and doesn't fly a damn thing during the year. ![]() Will we ever again, see a Shuttle riding it's tail of fire into the heavens? No matter what you think about the technology and the pro's and con's for the whole STS program, there's really something quite awe-inspiring watching that machine take off. Perhaps we could have a poll? _________________ Beancounter from Downunder |
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Spaceflight Participant ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:27 pm
Posts: 72 Location: The Land of Hurricane Charley ![]() |
I could live without another shuttle flight ever happening again. Question is, are they capable of doing anything else more productive with all that money? I wonder sometimes.
_________________ "Floating down the sound resounds around the icy waters underground.." |
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Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2003 8:46 pm
Posts: 1218 Location: Kapellen, Antwerp, Belgium, Europe, Planet Earth, the Milky Way Galaxy ![]() |
It's amazing to see the shuttle.. if it it's not money related.. or technological point of view only.... I think it's a really great vehicle, and looking very cool.
But for me.. it's not worth the money... Make some prizes to spur private developments, imagen 1 billion us$ a year in 50 or so diffrent prizes... (with second and 3rd place winners as well). We'll have a multi billion private space industry, reaching orbit as well... in less than a decade (2015) with many people in orbit and the moon very close as vecation resort (for the rich).. but maybe.. even without such government money.. we'll reach that point in 2015 ![]() _________________ Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. - Lord Kelvin, 1892 |
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Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:15 pm
Posts: 1233 Location: London, England ![]() |
My feelings about the shuttle are complicated as I believe are most people's when thinking about this amazing machine.
On one hand I think that the shuttle has been holding NASA back for decades, its constant demands on the space agency budget has made it almost impossible to develop an alternative. Even now at the end of its life it is still causing financial problems. More than anything it is a political football thats support over the years has been derived more from vested interests of various US states, politicians (of both parties) and corporations who see it as a permanent meal ticket. All that said it is still an incredible vehicle, the only one of its kind, which has unmatched capabilities (launching a Hubble mission would be unthinkable without it). I watched Discovery's launch live on the internet and felt moved when it reached orbit, thinking that the space program was up and running again. The shuttle will fly again, though probably not the full 19 flights that are being spoken about at the moment. When it eventually retires I for one will be a little sad to see it go but will know that it should have made way for the next generation of vehicles long ago. Its the closest man has ever come to producing a real spacecraft something like those I used to read about in science fiction novels. _________________ A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
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Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:38 pm
Posts: 1361 Location: Austin, Texas ![]() |
I always thought the shuttle was a kludge compared to the elegant looking Saturn V. We need a simpler smaller machine for the next reusable vehicle. For heavy lift we should stick with expendable boosters until reusability has been perfected on the smaller, simpler, cheaper craft.
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:30 am
Posts: 236 Location: Perth, Western Australia ![]() |
Hi Andy Hill.
I agree with you on mixed feelings however the US Shuttle although being the only one in existence today and the only one to go into regular (using that term advisedly ![]() Here's a link for basic info': http://www.marscenter.it/eng/veicolinavetteburan.htm _________________ Beancounter from Downunder |
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Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:25 am
Posts: 891 ![]() |
The hydrogen engines were under the ET, so they had an HLLV whether or not the orbiter was the payload.
www.buran.ru www.k26.com/buran also at www.astronautix.com and the real space section of www.starshipmodeler.net (See the REAL Space Modeling section and the Buran vs. Dyna-Soar thread--lots of links to toys and flying model rockets based on Buran--models available at www.squadron.com IIRC.) http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery10/dt_buran.htm Yet more links: Nice Models http://www.cardmodels.net/forum/showthr ... ight=Buran http://www.cardmodels.net/forum/showthr ... ight=Buran I wonder if it would go with this: http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery10/dt_buran.htm HLLV http://www.lhvcc.com/egiftshop/cevton02 ... 110005.jpg Last edited by publiusr on Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:27 pm, edited 1 time in total. |
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Space Station Commander ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:25 am
Posts: 891 ![]() |
Take a look at this schedule:
Quote: anik - 30/11/2005 1:10 PM Plan of the Russian launches in December 2005: December 6 – Baikonur – Proton-M/Briz-M – AMC-23 (WorldSat-3) December 20 – Plesetsk – Kosmos-3M – Gonets-D1M December 21 – Baikonur – Soyuz-U – Progress M-55 December 25 – Baikonur – Proton-K/DM-2 – two Glonass and one Glonass-M December 26 – Baikonur – Soyuz-FG/Fregat – GIOVE A December 29 – Baikonur – Proton-K/DM-3 – KazSat Misc http://www.geocities.com/bobandrepont/spacepdf.htm Private initiative: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums ... 58&posts=8 Andrews Back to topic--SDLV schedule: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums ... 1&posts=91 |
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Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:30 am
Posts: 236 Location: Perth, Western Australia ![]() |
_________________ Beancounter from Downunder |
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