I Miss The Space Shuttle
 

Do we have the technology to build a better Space Shuttle today?

Better meaning less expensive to launch, and a lot safer, with the same or greater payload.

I miss it too, I have been showing my son videos of the launches and he's loving them.

We have the ability, but not the will.
Same applies to a manned Mars mission.

Far too many "free" government programs benefiting the unfortunate to spend needless $$ on silly stuff like space exploration......that's just crazy talk (green font).

We were on our way to Florida on I75 headed South, in Feb of 2003, fully expecting to see Columbia's contrail on it's aproach to land. Needless to say, it never made it when it broke into pieces over Texas......sad day.

I was at a Mass Innovation Nights (emerging tech entrepreneurs do mini-presentations and then have booths) event the other night and the focus was on space. There is some amazing new tech being developed, most around building and launching micro-satellites the size of a shoe box, many of which were presented.

Two were very interesting, an ion engine the size of a postage stamp, used for keeping small satellites in low orbit. Another was about cost-effectively launching satellites into space, the current, (numbers not exact) smallest model is 60 ft tall rocket with 10K lb of fuel, most of which is oxidizer. This new company uses a 12 ft tall rocket and under 100 lb of fuel using the atmosphere to provide the oxidizer through their new tech. I think they say a typical satellite launch is $145 million and requires piggybacking by lots of smaller satellite companies and their new model would come in around $10 million to launch the same.

The whole night was humbling to say the least. Some seriously brilliant minds were on stage. Draper backed this Innovation nights and probably has their hands in all of the presenting companies.

Anyway, all of this new tech will trickle up, whether to NASA or competitors to Elon Musk and others so more Space Shuttles should be on the way.

And I agree, there is a real and deep pride in being an American and seeing what we can do.

For 10 years (1987 until 1997) I worked right outside the South gate of Kennedy Space Center, I just had to lean back from my desk to see the Shuttle go up. I typically went outside it was awesome to feel the ground shake and the sound waves hit you.

For part of that time I lived in Cape Canaveral, the night launches were awesome. Light the place up like daytime. You would go out in your underwear or pajamas then realize once the place light up like daytime you and your neighbors were all dressed the same. LOL!!

I tried to take my kids up to see one of the last Shuttle Launches, I cannot remember exactly now how it all went down but we never got to see one. 2 trips and both times scrubbed launch. I was taking them out of school for this so I had to stop.

I did get to bring them up for a Space X launch, my younger son thought it was awesome. It was. It just did not rock the place the way the shuttle or even the Atlas or Titan rockets did. It was dainty compared to them.

Fresh out of high school I was working in a aviation machine shop on Long Island, I actually worked on some tail section parts for the shuttles. Moving to Florida, then landing a job at a Land Surveying company on Merritt Island, I got to work with NASA again as a subcontractor, we did a lot of support work for Brown and Root surveying in and around both Shuttle pads.

My entire young adult life was intertwined with the Shuttle program. So yeah, when they retired it, I was bummed.

Think a company like Space X could do it, but I also think they've figured out a Better Way.

Your posting reminded me of another NASA Project I worked on in your neck of the woods.

We had to measure overhead gantry tracks (looked like rail road tracks) at Camp Blanding.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Blanding

Little known fact, during the Shuttle years, spare solid rocket boosters were stored in Camp Blanding underground in case something happened in Kennedy and replacements were needed in a hurry.

The overhead Gantry was binding up under load causing headaches. I remember answering the phone call from NASA asking if we could survey the tracks to millimeter accuracy so they could shim them. An engineer decided that the tracks were out of level causing the binding.

I said, "Sure!! we can do that, let us work up a quote for you." I hung up the phone, turned to my boss and said, "How the hell are we going to measure to that accuracy?"

He told me to get on it and figure out a way. Several phone calls to suppliers later I found Surveying Equipment used to set up high accuracy machine shops accurate to a millimeter.

Works up an outrageous quote embedding rental costs into it. Got the job and helped them fix the gantry.

I did several boy scout camps at Blanding, as well as a Junior Olympic training camp for 3 and 4 position small bore rifle, early to mid 80s

This is one of my favorites because of all of the audio and the high quality of the video.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ShRa2RG2KDI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And this one is long, but something that any enthusiast should see. It's a lot of explanation and super high quality behind the scenes type stuff that we don't otherwise see.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W2VygftZSCs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And you should also check out this thread by one of our own Pelican celebrities because it's got other behind the scenes stuff that most folks don't see.

Awesome stuff. As an aerospace engineer, I've always had a thing for space. Sadly never had the opportunity to work in the field, because I can't imagine anything more incredible than watching your hard work travel thousands of miles into space to accomplish some incredible goal. We planned a summer family vacation to Orlando around seeing the final shuttle launch, which was unfortunately rescheduled. For anyone interested in space, the Kennedy Space Center is a great visit. We also have an amazing space museum called the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS. Sounds crazy but it's a top notch Smithsonian affiliated museum.

There are several space shuttle-esque platforms in some form of service. The Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser is still being developed for NASA cargo transport, but it was designed for crewed missions as well. The Boeing X-37B is a DARPA classified program that has made several trips to space doing spooky stuff, again as a cargo transport.

Many of us were old enough, and some lucky enough to own a tv when the Mercury program started. I remember watching those early launches with rapt attention. When the first shuttle launch and landing took place I was working my first job as a bench chemist and begged the boss to let me bring in a small portable to watch it all. I felt a lot of pride watching that sucker touchdown.

My little friend, P-Woody, an American Green Tree Frog, really liked shuttle launches, almost as much as the techno music in the Victoria's Secret fashion shows!

He's synched up with the shuttle views in this one, and takes the cue to head out "downrange".:D


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7PlrJsHwQ0

Way back when I did a tour of the Space Center. Actually walked right into the VAB. They were building the crawler for the first shuttle launch whenever that was. The sensations of looking up and around inside that enormous man-made cavern of a building and seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time are similar yet so very different.

^^^This, there is still a lot of work to do in space and we are developing new/better way to put people out there.

The space shuttle program was great but it was developed in 1976... it was time to move on.

http://www.spacex.com/crew-dragon

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1500043912.jpg

i kinda dont miss the space shuttle program.

i'd pencil that spending on something else at the moment..

The list of daily stuff that we benefit from that originated from the space program is very large. And the NASA budget is laughably small. I'm all for cutting government spending but the reward vs cost for space is quite good. Not to mention the national pride, strateigic advantages, inspeiration for the next generation of STEM students (which we are way behind on), and advancement of aerospace technology that eventually flows down to industry (and contributes to a positive trade balance).

I know the feeling. When I got my aerospace engineering job I thought, "Woo Hoo! I'm a rocket scientist!"
In 10 years I never worked with a piece of a rocket or airplane bigger than a shoebox. :(

No it is a waste of money. We need more free cel phones, free internet access. What we pay an engineer in a year we could pay 10 households worth of people to sit at home.

Think of the people!!

Agree. Imagine the technology that would come about from a manned Mars mission. Energy efficiency and recycling would enjoy huge advances, IMO.