Astronaut Corps Shrinks As Shuttle Program Ends

Aviation Week and Space Technology ^ | 10/15/2010 | Irene Klotz

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

With the final crews in training for NASA’s last three space shuttle missions, the number of astronauts in the corps is down to 65 – a 25% drop since last year.

NASA plans to keep its roster of astronauts at 65 to support spaces station operations and other programs, including the development of the agency’s Orion deep space capsule and planned commercial crew vehicles, said Jerry Ross, a seven-time shuttle veteran who heads the agency’s Vehicle Integration Test Office, an engineering support team for the Astronaut Office.

The 65-member corps does not include nine astronaut-candidates selected last year who are still in training, Ross told AVIATION WEEK. Those newcomers, however, may not fully offset the number of astronauts like Ross who plan to leave NASA upon the shuttle program’s completion next year.

“You never want to see something that’s been so successful and so much fun come to an end. But at the same time, I personally do believe that it’s probably time for the shuttle program to wrap up,” Ross said in an interview.

“It’s had a good run. I’ve been here since before the first flight and I intend to stay through the last one. But I also intend to retire shortly thereafter and go on and enjoy different aspects of life. My entire goal of staying around is to make sure that we do everything possible to fly these last two or three flights safely as I’ve been doing for quite a few flights now,” he said.

“It’s been a tremendously successful program, with a couple of very notable exceptions, and while it’s been very successful, it does tie us to low-Earth orbit and for the future of space exploration we need to get beyond that,” he added

[Jack Hammer]

“NASA plans to keep its roster of astronauts at 65 to support spaces station operations and other programs...”

including a training cadre against NASA’s resurgence the moment the destructive socialist idiot in the White House departs.

[KarlInOhio]

Can't we just rent Cosmonauts too? Or maybe the Chinese ones are cheaper.

[JRios1968]

Need 65 to maintain a presence in Muslim countries.

[cruise_missile]

American Exceptionalism shrinks along with space program. Obama out sources NASA astronauts.

[tlb]

>>> “NASA plans to keep its roster of astronauts at 65 to support spaces station operations and other programs...”

Other unspecified programs. I believe there are manned spacecraft aside then the shuttle. Although later canceled, Blackstar was operational for years carried aloft under a mothership. Illustrating the point the shuttle wasn't the entire US space capability:

 

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/030606p1.xml

[Diogenesis]

There are 57 states which need SLAVES.

The Emperor Obama, an undocumented Arab muslim,
serves his 57 states.

[GlockThe Vote]

This is rightout of dsouzas book.