Science Last Flight of Discovery: Thursday, 4:50pm EST

**Donger** · 02-23-2011, 09:11 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110222/..._space_shuttle

Live web coverage here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

DMAC · 02-23-2011, 09:19 AM

5 dudes, one chick.

**BigMeatballDave** · 02-23-2011, 12:06 PM

Is this the final Shuttle mission?

I think the Discovery is supposed to be on display at the Air Force museum just down the road from me. I know one of the Shuttles will be here, just not sure which one.

**Donger** · 02-23-2011, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCD

Is this the final Shuttle mission?

I think the Discovery is supposed to be on display at the Air Force museum just down the road from me. I know one of the Shuttles will be here, just not sure which one.

No. There will be one more (maybe two) after Discovery.

**Donger** · 02-24-2011, 09:51 AM

Discovery is fully-fueled and weather is looking good.

blaise · 02-24-2011, 10:13 AM

If they want the American public to support NASA they should stage a mock space battle with lasers up there. The shuttle could shoot down a fake alien spaceship.

**mlyonsd** · 02-24-2011, 10:14 AM

LOL I swear I looked for a thread on this.

**bevischief** · 02-24-2011, 12:25 PM

There is a private group looking into see if they can keep them flying till the replacement is online.

teedubya · 02-24-2011, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaise

If they want the American public to support NASA they should stage a mock space battle with lasers up there. The shuttle could shoot down a fake alien spaceship.

I'm pretty sure the fake alien ships idea has been tossed around.

Watch the video game that FEMA made for kids to prepare them for aliens and earthquakes.

I have always loved the space shuttle though... I look forward to seeing the new ships soon.

Donger, when are the new ones gonna start launching?

**Rausch** · 02-24-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevischief

There is a private group looking into see if they can keep them flying till the replacement is online.

I'm pretty sure it is...

mnchiefsguy · 02-24-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevischief

There is a private group looking into see if they can keep them flying till the replacement is online.

Did not know that? You have any other info on who the group is and what they have planned?

It would be very cool to keep the shuttles running, and if the private sector can do it, limiting the cost to the taxpayer, that would be a bonus.

Jethopper · 02-24-2011, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaise

If they want the American public to support NASA they should stage a mock space battle with lasers up there. The shuttle could shoot down a fake alien spaceship.

Or show Event Horizon on every channel all day

**Donger** · 02-24-2011, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bevischief

There is a private group looking into see if they can keep them flying till the replacement is online.

What?

**Donger** · 02-24-2011, 12:41 PM

Wow, I hadn't heard this:

http://dvice.com/archives/2011/02/space-shuttles.php

NASA has already promised its space shuttle fleet to museums after their last launch later this year. Instead, a private company has made a proposal to buy up two of the shuttles and keep them flying commercially.

Most of the people involved in the space shuttle program aren't actually working for NASA. Instead, they're contractors, working for a company called United Space Alliance, which is a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. USA has thousands employees, and they're the people who do all of the processing and operational work on the space shuttle fleet.

Instead of just packing up the generally reliable and still fully operational shuttle program and firing the vast majority of the people involved, USA is asking NASA to let it take things over and launch Atlantis and Endeavour twice a year carrying commercial cargo starting in 2013. It would be called the Commercial Shuttle Transportation Service, and it would cost only about $1.5 billion a year, some of which would hopefully be offset by the amount of cargo that could be carried on each launch. Plus, there'd likely be room for a couple extra passengers, too.

Part of the reason why this might make sense is that keeping a shuttle or two operational would ensure that the US has operational manned heavy lifting capability to the International Space Station until we can get our next launch system figured out, whether it's a NASA project or, more likely, a commercial system. Retiring the shuttles as planned would leave a gap of several years at the minimum where we'd have to rely on the Russians, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it's always good to have redundancy when you've got a bunch of people up there in a space station with no parachutes.

United Space Alliance recognizes that their its is "very much a long-shot," which it definitely is, and NASA isn't commenting on the concept. Personally I'd love to see the shuttles continue to fly, especially if it means a potentially cheaper civilian ticket to space.

**Donger** · 02-24-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teedubya

I have always loved the space shuttle though... I look forward to seeing the new ships soon.

Donger, when are the new ones gonna start launching?

What new ones?

02-23-2011, 09:11 AM
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10369900 VARSITY	Last Flight of Discovery: Thursday, 4:50pm EST http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110222/..._space_shuttle Live web coverage here: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
Posts: 180,682

02-23-2011, 09:19 AM	#2
DMAC MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $10008735	5 dudes, one chick.
Posts: 11,651

02-23-2011, 12:06 PM	#3
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	Is this the final Shuttle mission? I think the Discovery is supposed to be on display at the Air Force museum just down the road from me. I know one of the Shuttles will be here, just not sure which one.
Posts: 59,997

02-24-2011, 09:51 AM	#5
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10369900 VARSITY	Discovery is fully-fueled and weather is looking good. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,682

02-24-2011, 10:13 AM	#6
blaise In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Plano, TX Casino cash: $9999900	If they want the American public to support NASA they should stage a mock space battle with lasers up there. The shuttle could shoot down a fake alien spaceship.
Posts: 22,188

02-24-2011, 10:14 AM	#7
mlyonsd Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Spink, SD Casino cash: $1693762	LOL I swear I looked for a thread on this.
Posts: 38,858

02-24-2011, 12:25 PM	#8
bevischief .... Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somewhere Kansas Casino cash: $8659352 VARSITY	There is a private group looking into see if they can keep them flying till the replacement is online.
Posts: 27,731

02-24-2011, 12:41 PM	#14
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10369900 VARSITY	Wow, I hadn't heard this: http://dvice.com/archives/2011/02/space-shuttles.php NASA has already promised its space shuttle fleet to museums after their last launch later this year. Instead, a private company has made a proposal to buy up two of the shuttles and keep them flying commercially. Most of the people involved in the space shuttle program aren't actually working for NASA. Instead, they're contractors, working for a company called United Space Alliance, which is a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. USA has thousands employees, and they're the people who do all of the processing and operational work on the space shuttle fleet. Instead of just packing up the generally reliable and still fully operational shuttle program and firing the vast majority of the people involved, USA is asking NASA to let it take things over and launch Atlantis and Endeavour twice a year carrying commercial cargo starting in 2013. It would be called the Commercial Shuttle Transportation Service, and it would cost only about $1.5 billion a year, some of which would hopefully be offset by the amount of cargo that could be carried on each launch. Plus, there'd likely be room for a couple extra passengers, too. Part of the reason why this might make sense is that keeping a shuttle or two operational would ensure that the US has operational manned heavy lifting capability to the International Space Station until we can get our next launch system figured out, whether it's a NASA project or, more likely, a commercial system. Retiring the shuttles as planned would leave a gap of several years at the minimum where we'd have to rely on the Russians, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it's always good to have redundancy when you've got a bunch of people up there in a space station with no parachutes. United Space Alliance recognizes that their its is "very much a long-shot," which it definitely is, and NASA isn't commenting on the concept. Personally I'd love to see the shuttles continue to fly, especially if it means a potentially cheaper civilian ticket to space. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,682