With the problems on the space shuttle, where is the program headed if there is another failure?

Question

Are we developing alternative means to keep the space station project going?

Answer 1

The shuttle should have been grounded 10 years ago.

It is an awesome machine, i've always been a fan, but its complexity allows for to many uncertainities in any flight. and no safety measures for the crew.

The original design had a removable cockpit that could re enter on its own and land via parachute

i dont think 1/100 chance of catastrophic failure is something that should be flying.

Not to mention all this complexity equates to extra cost. The shuttle never lived up to its original goal of a launch every 2 mos.

Answer 2

I personally believe that they are on the track of failure or being shut down if they maintain the present course. Prior to the Space Shuttle, when the Apollo Projects were being done, there was only three deaths which happened at the same time and in the same place...in the practice-testing of the Astronauts of the Apollo 1. Electricity and Velcro started the fire, and the men were trapped because they couldn't get the hatch-door open. Other than that, and the "near-fatal" accident with apollo 13, the entire space program was highly sucessful. There is danger in any job...we simply make a bigger "fuss" over the things like the space shuttle due to the amount of money and time that is put into each project. As for me, I will continue to support the space programs, whatever they may be, in the simple interest of space in which the whole earth exists.

Answer 3

They're lucky the program wasn't developed by Microsoft or else they have been told it'd reach Saturn by now and it'd still be on the launch pad with a light blue touch paper fault. For the first five years it would have got to 100 feet and then kept resetting itself. By the fifth generation when it would almost be stable enough to not fall over when stood up, it would have expanded to the size of the Titanic and need engines with the combined power of Krakatoa, a 100 Megaton H Bomb and Guns and Roses loudspeaker stack.

But it wouldn't have mattered even it ever got to the Space Station because that would have been open sourced and the two wouldn't fit together anyway.

God bless NASA and thank god I'm an atheist and not an astronut!

Answer 4

There has been a project in the works for years for a new kind of shuttle, but congress won't give the fund for it.
No wonder the space shuttles have so many problems. Never mind the original design flaws, every machine has those - they are just OLD.

Answer 5

Nasa's Shuttle Program is a throw back to the 80's and 90's.
Its already outmoded, but I am sure we are working on some other form of transportation to get out to space. There has got
to be a better way than lighting that big candle.

Answer 6

It is headed for cancellation if the problems persist. The CEV is the next US space craft. If the shuttle is retired before CEV is ready, then the Russian Soyuz would have to support the space station until CEV was ready.

Answer 7

Doesn't mater- the Space Shuttle is already 5 years past its retirement date. They're old, outdated and primitve- plans are being made to superseed them with much better equipment

Answer 8

The same place if it is successful...Moth Balls.

Recent spending cutbacks/ realignments/ Bush is forcing NASAs hand into moth balling the shuttle fleet and returning to "capsule" style space vehicles.

Answer 9

THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM


IS A FACADE FOR THE PUBLIC, COMPARED WITH THE

DEEP BLACK SPACE SHIPS THE GOT, ITS A PR EFFORT

SHUTTLE WAS USELESS FROM DAY ONE, WASTE OF MONEY, WITH THE MONEY THEY SPENT ON IT,

WE COULD HAVE A FREAK-IN SETTLEMENT ON THE MOON ALREADY

AND IT HAS COUPLE OF FILTH'S LEFT ANYWAY TILL 2010

Answer 10

Obviously, it will stop all together with continous failure's. I think we have seen the worst it will ever get. I think we'll pull it together just fine.Small, technical failures cause catastrophic incidents.