US shuttles grounded until March

[OXO]

US shuttles grounded until March

The US space shuttle fleet is to remain grounded until March at the earliest, Nasa officials have said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4163908.stm

James :?

[spudicus]

I think this is really sad, but at least the Shuttle program still has life. Let's hope NASA can isolate and fix the foam problems during lift off.

[russ]

You would have thought a replacement vehicle would have been dreampt up in the last 35 years...what the heck have they been doin with their time The shuttle is so old now it's a museum piece.

Although a bit of welding, some widescreen wipers and a new exhaust should see it through for another year.

Then Nasa can get down the Shuttle showroom and sort out a brand new model. Perhaps they could get it on an options scheme with a final ballon payment to keep the monthly payments down.

Russ

[Astroman]

NASA has been planning a shuttle replacement since the late 80's. There was to be a 3 phase arrangement. One was an unmanned heavy lift vehicle, like a cheaper version of the Saturn V, a smaller, manned return vehicle like a sports-car shuttle and a long term replacement for the shuttles. Politics ran riot, then Challenger exploded, throwing NASA into chaos. Bush comes along and announces he wants to go back to the Moon and MArs, (not Neptune, where he's from?), and changes the whole mission of NASA. Now, Columbia burns up on reentry and NASA has no real direction or workable plans. (This is also a Bush doctrine.) NASA needs leadership and direction and to be more impervious to outside forces, (Bush et al, aerospace industry and the military). Hopefully their new chief, Dr.Mike Griffin is the man to return NASA to its intended course. Although touted as a BUsh supporter, he's also a rocket scientist and physicist and knows how to get things done.

I'm hopeful, yet guarded.

[AndyMac]

Ummm...................Astroman, something tells me your not a Bush fan!

[Astroman]

Wild guess? :violent3:

[AndyMac]

Don't forget I read your post on Orbital 9 :shock: BTW I agree with your sentiments