[anymouse]

Whoa! This is going to ruffle a few feathers.

[Oh Brother]

I guess the shuttle is a mistake because people were killed. If Apollo had continued, people would have died probably during a moon mission (one reason given for eliminating the later flights). I guess Apollo were mistakes too.

Just saying a program was a mistake because it was aggressive and barely achievable is a rather poor choice of words. That says don't try anything risky. With that attitude, we'll never do or go anywhere.

[longtermmemmory]

The space station was always a "make work" project of the USA to the russians so their rocket scientits would not go and work for other countries. (yea right)

It was a clinton plan.

[Nonstatist]

15 billion a year for NASA is mauch less than we spend on spy satelites, et al (NRL, DOD,etc budget for space projects)

It just so happens NASA gets the magnifying glass and DOD doesent. How many billion in defense spending is "stupid"!!? It would boggle your mind, if you let it.

[cogitator]

Interesting analysis. The Space Shuttle was the end result of a desire to make a space vehicle "reusable" to ostensibly save money -- I think Griffin is right that it was a bit too cutting-edge for the existing technology at the time, resulting in its inherent vulnerabilities now. The problem is that the stresses on the spacecraft require advanced engineering solutions. The Space Shuttle was a great leap forward, rather than an incrementally improved design. It should be noted that it has allowed some great science missions (UARS, Hubble, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, SRTM off the top of my head).

While there may be some small amount of science derived from the Space Station, the cost of maintaining a human presence in Earth orbit is so high (due to high launch and payload costs) that it doesn't seem worth the substantial effort to do it unless there is a more substantial science and technology benefit.

[PeterFinn]

Screw going to the moon. I want to go to Mars.

[HitmanLV]

I've said this since the early 1980s at the tender age of 14!

We SHOULD have built a space station as a launchpad for deep space exploration, but it should have been on the moon.

[hosepipe]

[ Shuttle and Space Station were Mistakes, Space Agency Chief Tells US Daily ]

Boondoggles are seldom mistakes.. they were done on purpose..

[isrul]

2019? That's 50 freakin' years since the first moon landing and the best hey can do is go back to where they went 50 years ago? That's pathetic. 50 years to progress and this is all they've got?

[tricky_k_1972]

Hey I just posted this after doing a search and found nothing, the funny thing is "Whoa" was my inital comment too.

[tricky_k_1972]

Space Ping! If you want on or off this list please Freepmail me. My Home Page

[WhiteGuy]

Shuttle and Space Station were Mistakes, Space Agency Chief Tells US Daily


Well, no shit.

I'll bet the taxpayers won't get their earnings back.........

[sono]

Let's go for this one instead ...
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html

[Truth29]

This is horrible timing. The budget cutters are looking for offsets for hurricane relief and questioning the Mars initiative. Although he is talking about NEO, it will get broad brushed into an indictment of the entire space program and used by those who want to kill manned spaceflight altogether IMO.

[Mike Darancette]

Shuttle a mistake? Space Station a mistake?

Maybe NASA is a mistake. Maybe private enterprise is the answer.

[Fitzcarraldo]

I think NASA needs to break out of a vicious cycle and propose something radical like terraforming Venus or building a space elevator.

[KevinDavis]

I like this guy... We should have continued the Apollo program... Also we should have found a way to keep the Skylab space station in orbit...

[clyde asbury]

Failure Is Not An Option dogma bump.

[Major_Risktaker]

The US space agency NASA lost its way in the 1970s when it focused on the space shuttle and International Space Station, NASA chief Michael Griffin reportedly said.

"It is now commonly accepted that was not the right path," Griffin said. "We are now trying to change the path while doing as little damage as we can."

___________________________

Like Federal Express change the way Americans view the US Post Office, private companies with change the way Americans view NASA.

Virgin Galactic plans to sell $200,000 rides into space

(Not so fast, said federal regulators.)
Go figure!

___________________________

NASA chief Michael Griffin is a loser and should be replaced because American were sold this kind of space station via Hollywood.

But NASA build this thing.

Hollywood does effect the federal budget
with fantasy to the tax payers, then Congress
delivers the cold reality.