[MadIvan]

Hopefully President Bush will prove them wrong.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Timesink]

"I don't think you could build a new shuttle if you wanted to. All the production facilities were shut down and I'm not sure the tooling is still there," said John Logsdon at the Space Policy Institute of George Washington University.

Think about the overwhelming stupidity of this statement for a moment. He's essentially saying that the whole of human society could never build another Model T Ford because the original assembly line was eventually retrofitted to make something else.

By that logic, McDonald's would still be on its first restaurant.

[Kakaze]

A re vamped/ new state of the art craft, that can autonimously go from runway to orbit and back is the best tribute : in my view.

The time for new technology and flexibility is here......I sit like alot of people, numbed by the loss.

God Speed to them , and to a new orbital vehicle.

[Miss Marple]

The shuttle won't be replaced, but I believe something better will, instead, be initiated. The first priority in this effort, however, will be convincing the American people, and I think the President is equal to the task.

[Procyon]

will not replace the lost space shuttle Columbia for around 10 years, sticking to a schedule that may force the agency to rely more on Russia to supply the International Space Station.

This snippet reveals the author as uninformed. The shuttle Columbia never visited the space station. Being the first shuttle constructed, it was too heavy to be boosted to the altitude of the ISS. It's loss has no effect on the space station program other than to call into question the safety and reliability of the Shuttles in general.

[OldFriend]

The ten year set back began the day slick willie became President. The future of the space program begins NOW!

[Mr. Silverback]

Afternoon, Ivan!

Serious new doubts emerged today over America's ability to make any significant contribution to the international space programme for almost a decade.

I vividly remember hearing this "ten year setback" line in the weeks after Challenger. I could see ten years before a new space plane flies, but otherwise this is bunk.

[Redleg Duke]

I suspect he will. He has so far. The Columbia Disaster will be the catalyst for a rebirth of a rational space program. It has languished far too long.