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For the last two decades or so, the shuttle has existed mostly as a way to deliver things to the ISS, and the ISS has existed mostly as a place for the shuttle to fly to. While the Hubble repairs were a great accomplishment, it probably would have been cheaper to just build an entirely new telescope and send it up on some sort of unmanned rocket whenever the original one wore out.
This is not to say that I think manned spaceflight is a bad idea - but the reality is that there is really nothing to do in Earth orbit, and that is the only place the manned space program has been able to go for decades. Manned spaceflight needs to be focused on setting up a permanent settlement on Mars, the only worthwhile goal for manned spaceflight in the foreseeable future. And for the cost and casualties of the shuttle program over its lifetime, with the knowledge and technology base that existed right after Apollo, that probably could have been accomplished. (Much of the Apollo know-how has been lost due to simple retirement and/or death of so many people that worked on it, and in the much more risk-averse environment of today compared to the 60's, this knowledge probably cannot be recovered, at least not by a government-sponsored program).
I think a lot of the disappointment over the retirement of the shuttle has to do with a sense of the US losing its place of leadership, or even going backwards in capability. To some degree that is a concern, but to an even greater degree, the shuttle has become a case of throwing good money after bad. We can't go forward and bring the shuttle with us.
On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 10:47 AM, Tracy <rwstracy@gmail.com> wrote:
I grew up dreaming of space travel but I'm even more driven by reality.
If you understand the goal of the space shuttle, you are forced to acknowledge that it was a monumental failure. It was touted to be a low cost space transportation system but on a cost per pound delivered to orbit, it was by far the most expensive system ever built. The throwaway Saturn 5 rocket was far cheaper and more reliable to boot. The Lowest cost for a shuttle mission was about 500 million not including mission payload costs. The Russians charge us 125 million per space station resupply missions including all payload costs.
And don't get me started on the "international space station " itself. It has no commercial sponsors as originally intended because it has no commercial use and darn little scientific use. And the US pays very near 100% of the costs.
The only worthwhile accomplishment of the shuttle was the launch and repair of the Hubble telescope. It replacement (the much larger and powerful James Webb telescope) will be launched by the French Ariane 5 rocket. THAT sorry state of affairs is the fault of the shuttle program which ate up all development funds that could have gone to something worthwhile.
OK, end of rant : )
Tracy
Sent from my iPad Makes me feel a little sick.
Sent from my iPad Sorry State of affairs!!
Russia Says End Of Shuttle Program Ushers In The 'Era Of Soyuz' Points To 'Reliability' Of Its Spacecraft In A Post-Shuttle
World
Russia says the end of the U.S. Space Shuttle program marks the
beginning of the "Era Of Soyuz" for transportation to the
International Space Station.
"From today, the era of the Soyuz has started in manned space
flight, the era of reliability," the Russian space agency Roscosmos
said in a statement.
The French news service AFP reports that the Soyuz design has
changed little since Yuri Gagarin first climbed aboard one to
become the first man in orbit. But the Russian space agency says
they have continuously improved the spacecraft, and the fact that
it is still flying as the shuttle program ends is a testament to
the "reliability and not to mention cost efficiency" of the older
design.
In a nod to
the U.S. Space program, the statement said "Mankind
acknowledges the role of American space ships in exploring the
cosmos."
But Russia is clearly basking in the fact that it now has the
only vehicle capable of transporting humans to the ISS and back
likely until 2016 at the earliest.
FMI: www.roscosmos.ru/main.php
Kelly Troyer
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