Comments on: Can You Buy a Space Shuttle? (And 7 More Shuttle FAQs)

By: Billy

Billy — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:12:00 +0000

@Luis – why not take your attitude somewhere else? Tiffany asked a legitimate question. Of course, there’s real reasons why not to suspend the program (I’m actually for increaing funding), but to call someone an idiot for asking is, well, idiotic.

nice article btw :)

By: Luis

Luis — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:36:00 +0000

@Tiffany – yeah, I agree! Suspending the space program and laying off tens of thousands of people is going to help America’s crisis REALLY well.

/sarcasm.

Idiot.

By: twodollars

twodollars — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:32:00 +0000

@ tiffany: http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

All about technology created as a result of the space program.

By: audrey

audrey — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:00:00 +0000

what an awesome article and a fun read!! thanks, ethan!! =)

By: PartiallyDeflected

PartiallyDeflected — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:36:00 +0000

I was in what seemed to be a perfect place to watch a shuttle come in for a landing, just across the river from KSC. Problem is the thing comes in so fast you have to be looking in exactly the right spot or you will not see it. You definitely hear it – a triple boom as it comes in.

By: hoppytoad79

hoppytoad79 — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:43:00 +0000

A nice light, informative read about the latest shuttle mission that explains things in plain English without dumbing anything down, and the writer’s breezy, joking style makes it an enjoyable read. Have to say I find the idea of turning urine into potable water an interesting one, to say the least.

By: Brucey

Brucey — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:02:00 +0000

@Wes

Right on, we’d have no velcro(TM) or memory foam without the space program!

By: Wes

Wes — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:23:00 +0000

@Tiffany

No actually that will create more economic problems than it will solve. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of people are employed as a part of our space program. Its not just NASA, but the many contractors around the country that work with/for NASA. In fact, the space program as a percentage of our national budget or our GDP is minuscule. Stopping the program would lead to many more people unemployed.

There are PLENTY of ways that this country can cut back its spending that will get us out of this situation we are in, however cutting jobs is not going to help the matter.

Not to mention that the space program has lead to the development of many advances in the fields of technology and science, and a greater understanding of our own planet. The progam is less than 50 years old, the shuttles themselves less than 30 years old. There is no telling WHAT the future advancements we will have as a result of 100 years in space.

Just a thought.

By: tiffany

tiffany — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:14:00 +0000

given our current economic crisis and all, am i the only one who thinks we could maybe suspend the space program for awhile? we could save millions (billions, tens of billions, i have no idea?) we have enough problems on our our own planet right now, do we really need to explore others? i get that we are learning things and space is great and all, but couldn’t that money be better spent right now? just a thought… sorry space fans.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:49:00 +0000

Actually, the shuttle has landed in New Mexico–once. In 1982, Columbia landed at the White Sands facility when bad weather kept them from a landing at Edwards. Kennedy’s runway wasn’t yet operational, so White Sands was the primary backup.