17 - May 16, 2010

Complete wrap up of the final scheduled flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis

Category:

• Science & Tech
• News

Produced by:

• Miles O'Brien
• Kate Tobin
• David Waters

Tags:

• This Week In Space
• Miles O'Brien
• Space Shuttle Atlantis
• Final Atlantis flight
• NASAtweetup
• NASA
• STS-132
• ISS
• International Space Station
• George Diller

[davisgreen2020]

I´m all for replacing the Space Shuttle ! But it is madness to cancel the Shuttle UNTIL there is a replacement ! And not giving NASA the money it needs to finish the job on Constellation !! $4 billion over the next 4 years ?!! How much money has been spent fighting two wars ?!! A gap of 5 years without american not having access to space ?!! And all the jobs that will be losted by cancelling the Shuttle and Constellation ! Just dumb and dumber !!

[ThisBoyTV]

a trillion dollars for bankers and pennies for all the great jobs created by the space program

[MrChristian326]

I agree with "nckey42." Leave one shuttle docked. Take a look at some of our industrial/warehouse plants. (I have worked for some). Sometimes the working area gets too clogged up with new/old materials. So a Company would rent out a trailer to store items that maybe used later. One place I worked for was an electric company and the department paid $400 a month for a trailer. Most of the time the space was 3/4 full of parts. But, like the shuttle, it served our needs.

[MattBlak1]

@nckey42 Shuttle could NOT be a lifeboat: It runs on fuel cells which use liquid oxygen & hydrogen that run out after about 16 days. You would need TONS of batteries fitted if there are no fuel cells. Also, after a few months in space the heat tiles might b too riddled with little meteor holes.

[nckey42]

Hey Miles, would it be a good idea to leave one of the shuttles docked to the ISS? It could be used for ALOT of storage, they could make the cargo bay a science lab... Maybe they could run satellite maintenance with the shuttle, based out of the space station.. There may be room for another astronaut...(the shuttle is pretty damn big)....Most importantly, the shuttle could be used as a life boat for the ISS..

Does anyone think this is a good idea?

[Marvin0Martian]

@misterbearbe I was using an extreme example. My point is there will never be a viable commercial reason to go outside low Earth orbit except for satellite repairs but that's about it. As a side note, I think the value of gold would go up since it would take several hundred thousand dollars per ounce to bring it back. LOL

I hate to be pessimistic about commercial space but I just don't see it. I want it, but...

[Marvin0Martian]

@mrbearclaw65 What three things are you referring too?  You talked about, 'cover up of the real space program ending', and 'Time to reveal the truth'. Did you forget what you said before you commented back to me?

[misterbearbe]

@Marvin0Martian Ofcourse it would not be worth going to a planet full of gold it would kill the value of gold. But then again gold is such a usefull metal! I'm just saying that most people dont care as for them personal there is nothing to gain.. obviously when there is money to gain a lot more will be intrested.

[Marvin0Martian]

@misterbearbe If Mars were made of solid gold it wouldn't be worth the effort to go there. There is only one real reason to go and explore. Because it's there. Like climbing Mt. Everest. Of what use is that? None! But still people go. Some die just as some have died going into space. Of course going to Mars could lead to discovering life there. That's definitely worth going for. Resources, meeeeh.

[Marvin0Martian]

@mrbearclaw65 What exactly do you expect to be revealed. I always love hearing conspiracy wackos proselytize.