Just stepped out to the frontyard to watch the space shuttle go up. It never fails to amaze me. Not much good for photography though, at 120 miles away, just a contrail with a flare at the top. Up, up into the haze as it flies away to the NE climbing, climbing and gone. Then dash back inside to watch the rest on TV. So much better technology for the TV view since the Apollo launches.
I find myself holding my breath every time. When I ran outside and saw the Challenger explosion years ago, it was a most shocking thing to watch. I cannot understand people that go “ho hum, another shuttle launch”!!!
Any other thoughts on the shuttle program?
By: Creaking Door - 24th October 2007 at 11:23
If we expected everything to be really useful, we wouldn’t have art, literature, a lot of esoteric science facts (like what good does the study of dinosaurs do us?), Ferraris, airshows, the rebirth of XH558, flying Spitfires, etc, etc.
The world would be a pretty boring place.
Hear, hear! 🙂
By: mike currill - 24th October 2007 at 04:07
Most of its payloads, like the Hubble telescope has been pretty useful…if not to the “man on the street” level, to the scientific community, it has meant a great deal.
Likewise, it has launched some weather & comm satellites.
They’re so common anymore, they probably are seen as invisable or not “really useful” to the general public.The STS, like the ISS, is a small step (to coin a phrase) to something more useful in the future.
If we expected everything to be really useful, we wouldn’t have art, literature, a lot of esoteric science facts (like what good does the study of dinosaurs do us?), Ferraris, airshows, the rebirth of XH558, flying Spitfires, etc, etc.
The world would be a pretty boring place.Remember, early aircraft weren’t too practical either.
True. I have to admit you’re right on that.
By: stangman - 24th October 2007 at 01:42
NASA has announced the STS will be grounded in 2010.
We still have the Russians and their capsules. The Chinese are planning repeat trips into space and have announced a moon mission..as has the U.S.
That may be so but i feel that our hold on manned spaceflight is a very tenuous one, it would be nice if a host of countries could pool resources both financial and scientific to ensure a strong presence in space. but wait a minute i think a pig just flew past my window!!
By: J Boyle - 23rd October 2007 at 21:15
I dont care what it’s payload is as long as it keeps goin up on a regular basis.If it ever got cancelled that would be the end of manned spaceflight for many ,many years. Only an collabaration[spl?] between countries would get the ball rolling again
NASA has announced the STS will be grounded in 2010.
We still have the Russians and their capsules. The Chinese are planning repeat trips into space and have announced a moon mission..as has the U.S.
By: stangman - 23rd October 2007 at 20:22
I dont care what it’s payload is as long as it keeps goin up on a regular basis.If it ever got cancelled that would be the end of manned spaceflight for many ,many years. Only an collabaration[spl?] between countries would get the ball rolling again
By: J Boyle - 23rd October 2007 at 19:49
…it is rarely used for anything really useful to the population of our beautiful planet?
Most of its payloads, like the Hubble telescope has been pretty useful…if not to the “man on the street” level, to the scientific community, it has meant a great deal.
Likewise, it has launched some weather & comm satellites.
They’re so common anymore, they probably are seen as invisable or not “really useful” to the general public.
The STS, like the ISS, is a small step (to coin a phrase) to something more useful in the future.
If we expected everything to be really useful, we wouldn’t have art, literature, a lot of esoteric science facts (like what good does the study of dinosaurs do us?), Ferraris, airshows, the rebirth of XH558, flying Spitfires, etc, etc.
The world would be a pretty boring place.
Remember, early aircraft weren’t too practical either.
By: mike currill - 23rd October 2007 at 19:37
Is the HO Hum factor possibly down to the fact that it is rarely used for anything really useful to the population of our beautiful planet?
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October 23, 2007 at 4:58 pm