One hour to final shuttle liftoff, weather permitting

Hard to believe after 30 years, this is it.

The weather's not looking so good for an on-time launch for Atlantis, but man, I have such mixed feelings about the entire program. (I'm a little biased, since my sister and BIL both work there, although my sister will be getting axed soon.)

I saw the last night launch from amazing seats and one other from Orlando. So cool. Something to be felt as well as seen.

There's been some cool coverage out there on the program's history.

 

Why did the Shuttle program get shut down? And what is next for NASA?

I remember there being some new program in the works that would get us back to the Moon within the next decade or so. But I hear that that got scrapped too.

 

When it was announced the Shuttle program was being scrapped the plan was to move to going back to the moon and beyond but that part of the plan was scuttled within the last year or so.

We're cutting the shuttle and hitching a ride with the Russians if we want to go into space after this.

Cutting the shuttle program makes a certain amount of sense given the age of the fleet and the fact it's primary role - hauling equipment to the ISS - has come to an end now that the station is built.

Would have been nice to still have the capability to send people into space though.

 

I was 2 1/2 years old when Alan Shepard went into space on Freedom 7. My mom and I stood in the front yard of the house on Terry Street in Indian Harbour Beach. Dad worked at the Eastern Range Test Center at Patrick Air Force Base.

Fifty years later, I'll be watching on TV from the cabin in north Georgia while Mom and Dad watch the launch from the back patio of their condo in Indian Harbour Beach, no more than a mile from the house on Terry Street.

Alpha and Omega.

 

I'm not sure how they count these things, but news reports say there are a million people there to watch. Personally, I hope it's postponed until next week so I have a chance to be there in person.

 

Someone should have started a rumor back in 2002 that there were Islamic terrorists on the Moon with WMDs. Bush would have had the Air Force invade it.

 

The Shuttles have done us proud, but it is passed time to retire them.

Godspeed, old girl!

 

You'd think NASA could have cleaned the bird shit off the countdown timer for this special day!

Edit: Now we've gotten a hold at T-minus 31 seconds -- which is a bad time to be shutting down -- maybe they can get the shit cleaned off.

Second edit: Resumed. I'm nervous as shit now.

 

Go, baby, go!

 

To paraphrase,

Space-X, a nation's lonely eyes turn to you...

http://www.spacex.com/

 

I think the hope is that private enterprise will enter the space travel business. Some longtime NASA engineers and astronauts disagree, though:

http://www.modbee.com/2011/07/06/1763879/critics-say-nasa-ignoring-its.html

 

Well, they would, wouldn't they?

I'm sure the Army pilots flying mail complained when the United States Postal Service was created, too.