Posted on 02/04/2011 2:59:54 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
NASA's space shuttle orbiters may not be destined for a museum in five months, after all.
Agency officials are conducting a "what-if budget exercise" that could keep the orbiters potentially flight-worthy for several more years, NASA says.
The option may offer a tantalizing alternative to the space shuttle workforce, who now must find new jobs before mid-year.
Currently, NASA plans to retire all three orbiters - including Discovery after a scheduled flight in February, Endeavour after a planned trip in April and finally Atlantis after it returns from a scheduled launch in June.
Meanwhile, NASA has asked the space industry to propose commercial vehicles to replace the shuttle orbiters, with the Russian Soyuz capsule relied upon to ferry crew and cargo to the International Space Station in the interim
(Excerpt) Read more at flightglobal.com ...
Lets just wait to see what the Islamic brotherhood has to say about it before we go off half cocked
Question: How much does NASA pay the Russian government
for the cab fare in that 1970’s Soyuz bucket?
I bet you it stinks like an Egyptian cab in N.Y.City.
Shoot Obama into the Sun. Use his golf, food and Airforce1 budget to refurbish and run the shuttles.
It works and has not killed anyone for a while. NASA was good when the Germans ran it.
In 2007, NASA signed a $719 million contract for 15 Soyuz seats (15 up, 15 down) as well as for 5.6 tonnes of cargo. That works out to nearly $48 million per seat.
Give the shuttles to private industry who will clean up and modernize the design and add such politically-incorrect features as the ability to take off and land with no human on board (something none of our shuttles can do currently, by deliberate design).
While I’m dreaming, I’d have each launch deposit the big cryo tanks into a holding orbit for consolidation into a big space station (again, something NASA could have done and chose not to).
I'll do it for $47.5M, plus I'll throw in free peanuts and in-flight headphones.
Bad idea imho.
Hey, lets not jump to conclusions... ;^)
I thought NASA was going to let the muslims take us to space from now on (with all those contributions to space travel they’re praising the muzzies for)?
You might want to have the mods remove that one I know people that have had visits for less than that
nice, thanks!
and how would this further relations with the Islamic world?
the year 2030, hey I have an idea lets take the 2010 space shuttle up for a run. Hey NASA stick to making Islamics feel good about themselves
Really? The spender-in-chief is gonna send the SS on an international trip?? Maybe they can use a shuttle??
Im just sayin don't put those two words so close together just trying to be helpful
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.