Space shuttle Discovery last flight

[Skym]

Space shuttle Discovery last flight -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpVClvUzhPA

2695mph wow.

Space is awesome.

[derk]

it gets faster if you keep listening.. 8:01 mark, 14,000mph. then i got bored and stopped watching

[bellis_GTR]

That was a cool video. Its crazy how much gas it burns. Gets in to space quick tho. I started watching other videos of life on the moon and all this other stuff haha. Very interesting!

[jdms13rhd]

So retarded that they would retire it.

[Skym]

I got distracted by the footage from camera, so sort of stopped listening to comentary.

There was supposedly going to be a replacement (X-33) that didn't need the tank, rockets. But I hear they had problems with the engine development -





NASA got a budget cut + age of shuttles could be the reason behind the retirement.

Military are going to use a mini shuttle on top of rocket called the X-37B -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k57nNsO0cQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TqXUM8LiCY

[Terrh]

it breaks my heart that NASA's budget got cut and stuff like this has to happen.

The space shuttles were actually supposed to be retired around Y2K - they were never engineered to be used for 30 years. Endeavor still has some life left in it but the shuttle program is 40 years old at this point, the money should have been there for nasa to build something new a LONG time ago. We should be talking about retiring the replacement for the shuttle by this point.

Nasa should have a new/better orbital vehicle by now, but low earth orbit is hardly a frontier anymore. Why aren't we back at the moon? Or on mars? In the 60's they were talking about us being on mars by 1980, and having permanent moon/mars bases by 1990. Now it looks more like it'll be 2050 before we set foot on mars, if it EVER happens. I wish people were still as excited about space flight as they used to be. It's the door to a new and even more exciting future but people don't seem to care anymore.

[MarusGTR]

it breaks my heart that NASA's budget got cut and stuff like this has to happen.

The space shuttles were actually supposed to be retired around Y2K - they were never engineered to be used for 30 years. Endeavor still has some life left in it but the shuttle program is 40 years old at this point, the money should have been there for nasa to build something new a LONG time ago. We should be talking about retiring the replacement for the shuttle by this point.

Nasa should have a new/better orbital vehicle by now, but low earth orbit is hardly a frontier anymore. Why aren't we back at the moon? Or on mars? In the 60's they were talking about us being on mars by 1980, and having permanent moon/mars bases by 1990. Now it looks more like it'll be 2050 before we set foot on mars, if it EVER happens. I wish people were still as excited about space flight as they used to be. It's the door to a new and even more exciting future but people don't seem to care anymore.

Actually it's original intent was for a decade, that's why they were using conventional rechargeable solid rocket boosters. They kept the program running because of program cuts. They have since bled off too much funding on rocket search and rescue and constant reassembly. All the funding would go on maintaining the existing program without having anything left for new designs.

Personally, I think the combination of a low-orbit heavy carrier shuttle (or plane, if time constraints permit it) and orbiter shuttle should be the soundest design pursuit.

To be honest we'd be racing to mars if the cold war wouldn't of ended, or at least if Russia economy would of recovered (which is impossible without the USSR). Their BURAN shuttles were (and are still) more avanced than NASA's. Having distinct superpowers would of made advancements in technology necessary and with bolder, honed steps. While I'm not condoning war, necessity -is- the mother of invention. With the fall of current G8 superpowers and the rise of immerging industrialist economies, the balance swayed to economy outsourcing and capitalistic inflation (which for example made the 2008 US crash inevitable). Even the environment is suffering because of the new industrial countries inability to conjure any moral or ethical standards towards it.

While intellectual creativity is still growing, I see that the average populace are growing apathic to the progress of humanity, becoming self important, shallow consumerists. Why should an industrialist pursue the progress of science when useless gadgetry is much more profitable?

TL;DR: I'm scared for humanity's interests and I'd love to see a new rocket program go wham boom to Mars.

[jdms13rhd]

nicely said.

Too bad they killed JFK or this conversation would be quite different.

And maybe the fact that they have found water on the moon/mars and dont want to admit there is other life out there. lol Just looking at pictures from Spirit and Opportunity, you can see the condensation washing the lens clean keeping the solar panels working. Their projection was that those would have been powerless from the dust years and years ago. Yet their still running. And I think it was the LCROSS crash mission back last oct having H2o reading even in the moons atmosphere. Wonder why apollo didnt find that, hrmmm.

I dont hold my breath for NASA. Other countries or combined space agencies (or even private) will be next on the top for exploration. Which is too bad because Nasa is a money maker in any long term projection and would be a better investment for the US rather than their now highest since ww2 defense costs going toward a war that only makes globalists and bankers more money leaving tax payers with those debts with interests thay can now not afford to even pay.

With the costs of oil going up and the US dollar being devalued, its only a matter of time that the USD worlds reserve currency is changed to something else or a stop to the fed printing as much money as they want (bailing out any foreign bank that asks for it) at tax payers expense. Nasa wont get money for a long, long time I assume. The US is too busy building up the TSA, FEMA and the homeland anyway, all in the name of terrorism.

[Terrh]

Actually it's original intent was for a decade, that's why they were using conventional rechargeable solid rocket boosters. They kept the program running because of program cuts. They have since bled off too much funding on rocket search and rescue and constant reassembly. All the funding would go on maintaining the existing program without having anything left for new designs.

Personally, I think the combination of a low-orbit heavy carrier shuttle (or plane, if time constraints permit it) and orbiter shuttle should be the soundest design pursuit.

To be honest we'd be racing to mars if the cold war wouldn't of ended, or at least if Russia economy would of recovered (which is impossible without the USSR). Their BURAN shuttles were (and are still) more avanced than NASA's. Having distinct superpowers would of made advancements in technology necessary and with bolder, honed steps. While I'm not condoning war, necessity -is- the mother of invention. With the fall of current G8 superpowers and the rise of immerging industrialist economies, the balance swayed to economy outsourcing and capitalistic inflation (which for example made the 2008 US crash inevitable). Even the environment is suffering because of the new industrial countries inability to conjure any moral or ethical standards towards it.

While intellectual creativity is still growing, I see that the average populace are growing apathic to the progress of humanity, becoming self important, shallow consumerists. Why should an industrialist pursue the progress of science when useless gadgetry is much more profitable?

TL;DR: I'm scared for humanity's interests and I'd love to see a new rocket program go wham boom to Mars.

you hit the nail on the head.

[MarusGTR]

Man, you guys made me so happy. I'm relieved to see I'm not the only one who's looking outside the box.

nicely said.

Too bad they killed JFK or this conversation would be quite different.

And maybe the fact that they have found water on the moon/mars and dont want to admit there is other life out there. lol Just looking at pictures from Spirit and Opportunity, you can see the condensation washing the lens clean keeping the solar panels working. Their projection was that those would have been powerless from the dust years and years ago. Yet their still running. And I think it was the LCROSS crash mission back last oct having H2o reading even in the moons atmosphere. Wonder why apollo didnt find that, hrmmm.

I dont hold my breath for NASA. Other countries or combined space agencies (or even private) will be next on the top for exploration. Which is too bad because Nasa is a money maker in any long term projection and would be a better investment for the US rather than their now highest since ww2 defense costs going toward a war that only makes globalists and bankers more money leaving tax payers with those debts with interests thay can now not afford to even pay.

With the costs of oil going up and the US dollar being devalued, its only a matter of time that the USD worlds reserve currency is changed to something else or a stop to the fed printing as much money as they want (bailing out any foreign bank that asks for it) at tax payers expense. Nasa wont get money for a long, long time I assume. The US is too busy building up the TSA, FEMA and the homeland anyway, all in the name of terrorism.

I haven't kept up with the probe programs since I can only afford basic cable right now. I wasn't aware of the LCROSS program. I'd usually get inspired to check into some new space research by some reports on the discovery channel, since most of my time is dedicated to my research and thesis.

I don't expect the US to fund a space program anytime soon, or should I want them to. Right now the economy is in shambles. It needs radical restructuration with small pockets of funding and not going over-centric with expenses. I love the bravado of "Obamacare", but I don't think it's sensible to break the bank on it when the people can't even agree (or understand, which is retarded, seriously) on how it's supposed to work.

Oh and as for the USD being status quo, China proposed that we should convert to their currency not too long ago....

[Daniel1458]

Oh and as for the USD being status quo, China proposed that we should convert to their currency not too long ago....

For real? Where can I dig some more info? Another thing I heard is about AMERO, a new currence for the North Ammerican Allience (Canada, US, Mexico) because of the US dollar would go worthless soon.

[Skym]

I always thought the Germans were leaders in rockets and some after collapse of Germany (WW2) went to Russia and some to USA. Without their help, the space program's wouldn't have happened in both countries. Just 2x different directions with space programs. One simple, one complex.

Also Russia under Stalin captured 3x US B29's (had to emergency land in Russia) to catch up in technology and have a long range bomber. They copied the B29 (with some changes) and made their own version of the B29. One plane was dismantled, one used for training and one used to see how everthing was put together.

The planes they created are at a plane museum in Russia -

http://www.moninoaviation.com/39a.html

Looks like Russia sold their version to China in above link.

http://www.moninoaviation.com/40a.html

To rub salt into wounds, they invited a delegation from US to see the fleet of new aircraft.

US captured Japanese subs that could launch planes and before the Russian's could have a look at them (they asked to have a look at them), US sunk them. Can understand why US didn't trust Russia, vice versa and why the cold war started.

[drew6]

Very interesting topic.

Actually, I think the future of space exploration will probably be privatized. Look up a company called SpaceX. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX They have some crazy contracts already with the US gov and military.

I guess only time will tell.

[jdms13rhd]

I don't expect the US to fund a space program anytime soon, or should I want them to. Right now the economy is in shambles. It needs radical restructuration with small pockets of funding and not going over-centric with expenses. I love the bravado of "Obamacare", but I don't think it's sensible to break the bank on it when the people can't even agree (or understand, which is retarded, seriously) on how it's supposed to work.

Oh and as for the USD being status quo, China proposed that we should convert to their currency not too long ago....

For every dollar congress gives NASA, it creates 2 more dollars in jobs, research and new productivity. That figure may be vague by means you look at it, but in almost every situation, its good for the economy.

As for China proposing using their currency as the the worlds reserve currency, their not the only country. If you guys have some time, this will really open your eyes on what the US dollar is really worth. You dont need to listen to the end of the vid, it pretty much is telling you to buy a portfolio on what commodities to purchase.

And on OBAMACARE, its a POS. Its written by the insurance companies for the insurance companies. I havnt heard of any American that knows whats in the bill and gives it any kind of support. Its designed to destroy the economy as well as other issues and its also completely unconstitutional. Obama shouldn't even be president anyways, Mr. Barry Soetoro (his real name) is not even an American citizen. Proven and guilty! The US is so messes up on so many levels and were just fallowing the leader.

http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/WPSIM204/PR

For real? Where can I dig some more info? Another thing I heard is about AMERO, a new currence for the North Ammerican Allience (Canada, US, Mexico) because of the US dollar would go worthless soon.

Watch the same vid above. The amero is a plan by the new world order. Part of their global overtake of countries and their banks. Who knows what the currency will be called. It could be one of a few current currencies or a new one. I think just this past month the IMF stated a new currency to be used as well.

Their was a big meeting not to long ago in which world leaders met to discuss the USD as the worlds reserve currency and guess what, the US was not invited. Mainstream media doesnt cover this kind of thing. They cover Charlie Sheen's drug and slut binge. Thats really all your going to get with mainstream media. They are pathetically incorrect on so many dynamic subjects it makes me sick. Anyone who spends a day of research would agree with this.

But the US since Bush back in I think 2007 has planned a merge of US mexico and canada and since just this past Feb 4th, Harper signed into it and not one little bit of info on the net on this issue at all. just threw up again. Everyone here should read this and forward it to anyone you know. I am pissed the Hell off!

http://edoerksen.blogspot.com/2011/02/its-back-merger-of-canada-and-united.html

[jdms13rhd]

I always thought the Germans were leaders in rockets and some after collapse of Germany (WW2) went to Russia and some to USA. Without their help, the space program's wouldn't have happened in both countries. Just 2x different directions with space programs. One simple, one complex.

You are referring to project paperclip. Project paperclip is when after ww2 all the German scientists came to the US and further developed the V2 bomber into what the discovery is today. the discovery is a V2 rocket. Paperclip included almost all of the top scientists we know of today including, Wernher Von Braun. They came direct from Peenemunde Germany to the US to start the space race. IMO, they were all Nazi's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip