[leadpenny]

Don't hold back. You may want to tell us what you REALLY think about the Manned Space Program.

FWIW, I do agree with some of your criticism, but the early programs. including the Moon Landings, were worth the effort and the prestige it brought to the US.
The ISS - I don't know?

[Mamzelle]

Well, I happen to have a dog in this comet hunt, but that's all I can say. Engineers are biting their nails to the quick waiting for the early hours, the same way they've done for every innovation in space exploration...I guess we can afford the Astronaut Sideshow. It's good for laughs.

The space program was waylaid in the mid seventies--to genuinely progress, we'd have had to forget about providing rides and face time to flyboys for at least a few years. But, no, we've been shuttle-stuck because we let celebrity pilots run the show.

And we coulda been to Mars by now. That's the irony--because they couldn't let go of their rides long enough to let the engineers go full-scale to develop unmanned craft, we've gone nowhere with manned.

[Moonman62]

FWIW, I do agree with some of your criticism, but the early programs. including the Moon Landings, were worth the effort and the prestige it brought to the US.

The inspiration the early space program provided, especially to young intelligent people was priceless, not to mention that it was a huge victory in the Cold War. But the opportunity to be the first to land on the Moon and all the good things that came with it was a one shot deal that probably won't be equaled until life is discovered elsewhere, if it exists. No amount of money, puffed up political speeches, or sending racially, and sexually diverse crews to Mars is going to recapture it.

[D521646]

http://www.noao.edu/news/deep-impact/

This is a much better site to view live shots..