Monday, May 16, 2011

Space Shuttle Launch n-1

Endeavor just launched for it's last mission, which brings our shuttle mission count to n-1. One more to go sometime this summer, as Atlantis lifts off one more time. After that, we'll be stuck hitching rides to the space station, from Russia. Bet they'd have enjoyed knowing that 30 years ago.

As I write this, the shuttle is at mock 14, and just lifted off from the fuel tank. A pretty amazing sight, as the camera view from the fuel tank shows the shuttle slowly rising up and away from it. Shuttle is completely out of view now, it's 10 minutes after launch.

It's sad that we are retiring the shuttles. They are old and outdated. And if we were just replacing them with newer, better designs, that would be fine. But we are seemingly giving up on space, for the moment. It's logical ... the cold war need is gone, and NASA is a large drain on money. But it's just ... saddening.

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