Last Space Shuttle Launch Happening Now!

BhagavadGita

You can watch online at

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

It's wonderful and sad at the same time. I'm going to miss the shuttle. I have kinda grown up with it.

:shock:

I wish everyone in the world could go out into space and observe the Earth from that perspective. It would change each and every mind forever.

Thoughts_Arrive

So the USA are no longer going to be sending man into space???

Travelar

Also available here: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/135_splash/index.html

It's the sad end to an era most of us have grown up with. It's going to be many years before the next launch vehicle is ready.

Travelar

Thoughts_Arrive wrote:

So the USA are no longer going to be sending man into space???

We're "renting" space from the Russians until the next launch vehicles are ready. We're also looking into commercial space flight, especially for heavy lifting.

BhagavadGita

ThoughtsArrive, I love that profile photo!!!!

Think about it, a monkey was the first being into space....I believe....

I was wondering what they were going to do about the space station if we were no longer sending shuttles. I have no clue what the Russian vehicles look like.

Thoughts_Arrive

BhagavadGita wrote:

ThoughtsArrive, I love that profile photo!!!!

Thank you

RYEzupSF

It has always been a dream of mine to watch a shuttle launch. I hope it doesn't take too long for the next era.

...and shuttle launch or not, nasa's website is so effin cool. I'm addicted to it.

CJMST3K

Hey Travelar, how will this affect you?

he.who.forgets

Tried to step outside to watch the last launch. While I'm about 70 miles north of the cape, you can still usually see the shuttles launch. But alas, it's pouring down fucking rain! Oh well.

Travelar

CJMST3K wrote:

Hey Travelar, how will this affect you?

It doesn't, thankfully. We're all Earth Sciences here with no manned flight activities. There are a lot of people at KSC/JSC though that will be looking for work. In fact, these last few launches have been difficult to pull off with all of the veterans leaving for other jobs.

JonnyPistachio

Thoughts_Arrive wrote:

So the USA are no longer going to be sending man into space???

Not really.. but there are several private companies doing some interesting stuff:

http://www.spacex.com/

http://www.spaceadventures.com/index.cf ... ar.Details

http://xcor.com/

http://www.virgingalactic.com/