The Obama Administration has put the final nail in the coffin of anything this country could still be proud of. Better that NASA dedicates itself to Muslim Outreach than explore the final frontier.
Yeah. That’s the ticket.
(retch...)
Semper Fi.
And a pity that two of her sister ships (and their crew) met such an unfortunate end.
A picture-perfect landing to mark the end of a beautiful run. The Shuttle is truly one of mankind’s crowning achievements.
Recall the Cowboy Bebop episode involving a rehabilitated Shuttle Columbia. Perhaps it’s only fitting that it should remain the object of that tribute.
One of my sons has worked at the base nearly 30 yrs - and on the shuttle program, QC. Every time I visit, he takes me for a tour.
When he was little, we lived in Cocoa Beach - "Mercury 7" days.
My brother was with the space program from the get-go - a space electronics, radar, sonar engineering specialist. Cocoa Beach, then, was a sleepy little town with 2 main roads running the length - and about the only Inn was the Ramada - where the Mercury 7 stayed when in town...My favorite was Wally Schirra - a really nice person. (And gorgeous dark auburn hair ;o)...)
My brother is long retired.
sy son soon will be too - thanks to our TIC (Traitor in Chief.)
All told, with the thousands already laid off at the base and the rest shortly to follow - and the businesses that were base-dependent, that area will lose bout 35,000 jobs. And the base jobs are specialized.
My son is in his early 50's. He'll lose his job, his insurance, his retirement and a long ways to go to SocSec - which will now be a lot less, due to the years to come...with what for work?
Not a lot of call for a QC booster rocket fuels - Houston Space Center is suffering the same fate.
Speaking of Social Security, I was looking at my statement for 2011 - where it says that we have not had a cost of living increase since 2008. Obmas tired to freeze military pay for 3 years - but that didn't fly. So he gave them the smallest raise since Viet Nam. (His very first months in office, he proposed that wounded soldiers, if they were married, pay for their own treatments through private insurance. Even the dems didn't dare pursue that one.
Then there's the other millions who have been put out of work n the past two years.
Those scruffy demonstrators - who HAVE over-paid jobs and benefits, in Wisconsin make me sick.
I was in Jr. High on January 28, 1986 at 08:38:00 a.m. pst, and my entire class was watching the Challenger take off with a TEACHER on board. We were glued to the t.v., as most of America was back then, at the Shuttle Launch. We watched that coverage for hours, and the school day was cancelled.
Through the years, the good that has been done and the “waste of money” on the space program has gathered many a comment and complaint. These issues will be debated by others in the days to come.
Until then, I pray that the lives of all that were lost in the endeavor of exploration will never be forgotten. The lives of those who continue to explore will be honored for their sacrifice.
Welcome home, crew of Discovery, and the vessel that carried you home.
The Grays didn’t want us on the moon, so that’s it for the space program.
To leave our ability to get to the ISS and self-directed space missions to the graces of the Russians or Chinese is treasonous. IMHO. Keep the Shuttle operating until we have a replacement system. Duh! ;-(