End of an Era?

[silverbullet]

As I watch videos & see pictures of the space shuttle Discovery atop that NASA 747 taking its last ride I can't help but feel a sense of Pride & Sadness.

Proud of what we acheived in this program.
Many of us can remember our eyes glued to our tv's as as the Mercury astronaughts took off & splashed their litttle capsules down in the Pacific Ocean. The "One small step for man" "One huge step for mankind" As our men landed on the moon. The many space shuttle missions with spacewalks & working with the International Space Station.
We celebrated the success of these programs as one nation.
We grieved as one nation when we lost lives.
We were great! And it was a great time to be great!

Sad because,
Now we'll probably have to pay the Russians to hitch a ride to the International Space Station. Remembet them? Our one time arch enemies & the ones we "Raced" & beat in the race to space.
Plus, it's a shame our leadership just doesn't think it's worth the financial investment for this country to achieve great things anymore. But can continue to fund their decade old War Toy.

Going to be interesting see whats next if anything for manned space travel. And the future of NASA

 

[slabghost]

One era has to end for the next to begin. There are private spacecraft being built and tested now.

 

[scdmarx]

Overall, the space program has been successful, I won't argue that. It has left iconic landmarks in the lives of us boomers for sure. But for what it cost, I can't help wonder if that money would have been better spent getting our house in order here first. Oh well, I am a pessimist and there will always be something to bitch about.

 

[joedrum]

plus 1 on that ....theres a buch there going on than space ...its not its main function never was ....most the stuff there going on is all about nucluar weapons and submarines.....nucular power plant right there ....bombs right there ....load the subs right there ...i personaly work on the undergroud bunker that hold these massive weapons instaliing 22"thick steel doors ..massive doors ...cant remember how tall but close to 50ft ...if the doors were not perfect it would take a crane to open the doors or close whatever way it off but whe right you could open them with one finger pushing these were the biggest doors i ever installed icant remember how many buckers ther were but sa bunch for sure ...there enough weapons there to blow the world up 50 times over just insane waste of money ...there more there than all the the space rockets ever sent up from day one....a completely insane thing to bring all in one spot is all i could ever think