End of an Era. Last Space Shuttle Flight

Working at JSC Nasa on the shuttle was my first real job, 30 years ago.

It kinda sad, but it is time that Nasa retired the Shuttle.

 

It is sad but I'm ready for the X-Wing.

 

Pretty crazy that this is the last one.

Watching at work.

 

THAT'S NO MOON!!!!!!

 

So why exactly is this the last shuttle?

 

because we're not funding anymore shuttle launches. in a strange loophole, we will fund shuttle landings, however. very odd.

 

Most of the things the Shuttle does have cheaper alternatives.

The Shuttle has ancient technology. The Shuttle was designed back in the 70s, so some of the technical choices are 40 years old.

 

i still got nervous when they said "go to throttle up".

 

So will we still send astronauts to space just in a more advanced form of space travel?

 

NASA is years away from having another space vehicle. They will be relying on the Russians to get to space for awhile. I can't believe it came down to this. They've known for years the shuttle would be retired so the next generation orbiter should have been ready to go.

 

I know, its really sad, it's a big step backwards for our space program.

 

So now NYC, Cali, Washington and FL get the shuttles.

AND WE GET TWO SPACE SHUTTLE SEATS!!!

I know I would visit JSC to see...seats.

 

I think that it was hard for Nasa to budget both the ongoing Shuttle operations and the development of its replacement.

 

did nasa get caught sleeping, is it inefficient, how could it not have had an effective replacement or is it a moot point, the program would have ended anyway.

 

I think it's because there is no consistency to NASA's funding and it has been scaled back seemingly every year. Whatever projects they put in the works seems to be scrapped due to budget concerns...so instead of building something greater than the space shuttle...they are going back to a capsule design. With the loss of two space shuttles and the costs of the program over the course of the shuttle program, one has to question whether it was even worth doing the shuttle program over just continuing to improve the capsule design. Hindsight is 20/20...but I do question whether the shuttle program was worth it. All I kept hearing is how expensive it was to maintain and the loss of the two shuttles surely didn't help.

 

It is years away but I think the answer is yes.