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Post by azvb on Jul 21, 2011 11:34:43 GMT -5
Watched a program the other night about getting Atlantis ready for the final Space Shuttle voyage. Really interesting show. So, all those people who worked on that program for the past 20 + years, are they out of a job? Is "astronaut" no longer an occupation? What is going on at NASA? Are they clearing out their desks, boarding up windows?
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Post by mikegarrison on Jul 21, 2011 12:16:45 GMT -5
Astronauts are still going up to the ISS, but they will be going up in Russian launch vehicles. I suppose "Space Shuttle Pilot" is now an obsolete occupation, however.
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Post by paloalto on Jul 21, 2011 12:58:42 GMT -5
I am all for space exploration but I never really got the Space Shuttle program. I don’t think it accomplished much and was not worth the resources. I would rather have seen that money go toward unmanned deep space vehicles to explore the cosmos or to the planning for a manned Mars expedition.
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Post by paloalto on Jul 21, 2011 13:04:09 GMT -5
There probably won’t be too much need for USA astronauts in the next few years. The government’s plan is for the launch vehicle industry to be financed by private industry. That will take time to develop into a for-profit business.
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Post by mikegarrison on Jul 21, 2011 13:14:49 GMT -5
There probably won’t be too much need for USA astronauts in the next few years. The government’s plan is for the launch vehicle industry to be financed by private industry. That will take time to develop into a for-profit business. No, the current plan is what I stated -- Russian launch vehicles will transport people of many nationalities (including US astronauts) up and down from the ISS. This has already happened and will continue to happen.
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Post by paloalto on Jul 21, 2011 13:43:02 GMT -5
Thanks for repeating yourself. My comment was directed toward undertakings other than the International Space Station.
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Post by BearClause on Jul 21, 2011 20:08:32 GMT -5
There probably won’t be too much need for USA astronauts in the next few years. The government’s plan is for the launch vehicle industry to be financed by private industry. That will take time to develop into a for-profit business. I remember previously mentioning that I interviewed (and subsequently turned down an offer) at Lockheed Martin for what was then known as the Lockheed Launch Vehicle. I heard that it wasn't a commercial success at the time, but apparently they're bringing it back, with NASA contracting for its services. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_(rocket_family)As for the Space Shuttle, I do remember watching the first landing of Columbia live during school. We had TVs installed just that year in our classrooms., Most of the programming was closed-circuit stuff, although I remember we did turn it on for coverage of the Reagan and John-Paul II shootings, as well as the Columbia landing. It was actually pretty boring just watching it sit on the tarmac for what seemed forever.
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Post by azvb on Jul 21, 2011 20:25:22 GMT -5
Wonder what the Russians are charging for a trip in one of their rockets?
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Post by mikegarrison on Jul 21, 2011 23:57:30 GMT -5
Wonder what the Russians are charging for a trip in one of their rockets? $20M. Well, anyway, that's the price for private individuals. NASA probably gets a volume discount. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Adventures
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2011 9:31:54 GMT -5
i don't want to be an alarmist, but is this really a good idea: for the russians to continue to tweak and develop their rocket technology with our active financial support, while we transfer all future development work to the proprietary private sector?
just seems pennywise...
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Post by BearClause on Jul 22, 2011 10:57:47 GMT -5
i don't want to be an alarmist, but is this really a good idea: for the russians to continue to tweak and develop their rocket technology with our active financial support, while we transfer all future development work to the proprietary private sector? just seems pennywise... They're simply tweaking 40+ year old technology. The US still has its own military rocket technology. Rocket science isn't actually all that hard to understand. It's a big engine putting up a tiny payload. I found it interesting that the US Atlas V rocket uses a Russian-made 1st stage, but apparently they're close to producing a US-made equivalent. At this point I would guess the Russian part is the most reliable.
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Post by OptimusPrime on Jul 23, 2011 10:02:46 GMT -5
Someone correct me if I am wrong.
This is only the space shuttle program. To draw a parallel, it would be as if the Cessna-170 is being canceled but R & D is continuing on the Concord or SR-71.... Yes I used a bit of exaggeration to make a point but I think I am on the right track....
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