Really? This is the lead story on CNN right now. My husband and I were watching the news this morning before I left for work. We saw that the launch had been delayed yesterday due to weather. Really? Your average thunderstorm can cause enough turbulence to affect the launch of a shuttle taking off with 6.6 million pounds of thrust from 4 million pounds of rocket fuel and a shuttle that weighs in at 120 tons? TONS. And you're telling me that a 60 mph wind is a FACTOR? I'm no physics genius, but seriously? Whodathunk? But this foam thing, that's a biggie for them and I understand that...foam wiped them out before. No way this thing is taking off. It's not worth the risk.
So my husband and I got to talking because they said that everyday they delay launch costs NASA one million dollars. One MILLION dollars. Huh. Kevin was outraged by this. We have to pay one million dollars per day waiting for this shuttle to launch, and what is IT going to do for ME? Huh. It's a valid point. It's the main argument with NASA. Yeah the Soviets beat us there with Sputnik, yeah our feelings and our pride were hurt, but we walked on the moon first! And what, really have we learned in the last 40 years since? I think space exploration as far as launching satellites has been great. I know I would suffer greatly if I didn't have those 500+ channels at my disposal...thank you Neil.
You laugh, but that is one of the first things mentioned on this site, where they answer the question "what has going into space done for us." Most of the answers have to do with satellites...which I find fascinating and necessary (not just for great TV). Which begs the question...why do we repeatedly send HUMANS up there? We could just as easily, as we have in the past, send unmanned aircrafts there to launch satellites, orbit the earth with various rocks, foods and dirty diapers on board and then land them to see what the outcome was. I mean, I'm not trying to undermine anyone's dreams of becoming an astronaut, I guess I'm just looking for a little justification? People keep talking about "medical technology" that's been discovered in space. Really? What? No one can answer that other than the temperpedic. Which I love. Very much. And people say the laptop was due to them needing smaller instruments in space. I think the computer people would have gotten there all on their own, without NASA. I really do. People would have wanted portable computing and smaller handheld phones whether the astronauts asked for it or not.
Anyway, generally I support space exploration, because, well, I don't know why...and I guess that's my real question. Why am I buying what they're selling? Do we NEED to be in space? What has space done for me lately? Is it really the final frontier? Does it require me to someday wear a gay little uniform? Because I'm wearing a rocking shirt that I got on sale at Vicky's Secret and I'm not giving it up to live in space. I'm just sayin...
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Yeah! someone else is at work today? Man is it quiet around here...Seeing that Nathaniel (age 10) is planning on going to Space Camp next year and is totally juiced on the whole idea, I'll refrain from my opinions on NASA, especially since my husband and I just watched Apollo 13 with him the other night. But I had to post and tell you how happy I am that you're at work to divert my attention for a few moments in this boring day.
Eileen
Oh it's horrible here, too...I mean, they got rid of most of the fun people here, so not only am I working today...it's quiet. pbllllll
I'm not saying I'm anti-NASA - and I love Apollo 13. I guess what I am saying is that I don't get it. And I've never questioned my support of NASA before now. Like why don't we privatize it? Why is it necessary for ONLY NASA to have access to space. I mean, lots of private companies fly planes, why is space so special and so different? Lots of other kids would have the opportunity and the dream of going into space if it wasn't just NASA cornering the market. I would LOVE to hear your opinions on NASA, because, I guess I'm just now, today, realizing I don't have one.
I'm not sure what I think. It makes sense to me, too, to privatize, assuming then that efficiency would rule over frivolous spending of taxpayers' money. However, then you run the risk of some wacko buying up the rights (like that creepy guy on "Contact" who had followed Jody Foster all her life). Now, I'm realizing for the first time today, that all of my life experiences seem to come from pop culture. Sigh. So there you have it.
P.S. I do think the new and improved private NASA's theme song should be "99 Red Balloons" by Nina, an '80s pop princess in herself.
Does NASA currently have a theme song?? If they did, John Williams probably wrote it. And if they don't, then he should.
HA! How's that for pop culture??
I say open it up, regulate it like they do airplanes and let the private sector have at it...then I bet you'll REALLY see some forward advancement in medicine and whatever else it is they're doing out there.
It costs One Million Dollars a day because the American public allows it. We allow our government to spend 600.00 in the military for a toliet seat and a hammer, that's 600.00 for EACH, and we (The American Public) continue to stick our heads in the sand and ALLOW OUR VOTED IN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS to continually ram it up our asses while we bend over and smile.
Besides the big brother tv machines up in space, you ask the question, what have we learned???
WE LEARNED IT TAKES ONE FUCKING MILLION DOLLARS A DAY TO KEEP THE SUTTLE GROUNDED...anything that is any value that has or will be learned from space exploration, you can bet your sweet Victoria T-shirt wearing ass the American public WILL NOT benefit from it, it will be analized and kept secret for years upon years, even if it is the cure for cancer. Anything that might make the money making situations on this earth better or go away, the government WILL NOT ALLOW...that's why we spend over 3.00 a gallon for gas, pay skyrocketing taxes (and IF YOU THINK you have representation...THINK AGAIN) pay billions and trillions of dollars on piss ass health care (and you can't sue your hmo??? WTF) oh wait, I got off track...Sorry I have too much time on my hands, I am going to lay in the sun
The reason for the delay due to weather was explained by an astronaut. Should the shuttle have to return to earth before orbit, it's a glider, no engines, and must come in in a prescribed path -no alterations. Therefore, they have no way to circumvent bad weather like an airplane can.
Their mission for this flight is to take badly needed supplies to the space station (don't forget their are still some men not on earth who have been there for some time) and to deliver a European astronaut. My question is why is it that the U.S. is always the money belt for these endeavors? Just 'cause we can?
I heard on the radio today from a house representative (I think from Kentucky) that if we could set a deadline to eliminate our dependency on oil like Kennedy did for placing a man on the moon, that we might be able to eliminate our dependency on foreigh oil.
Yeah, right! And watch that be the fiasco like switching to the metric system, or better yet, No Child Left Behind! But I won't go into that here.
Anyway, I agree that manned flight has outlived its usefulness. Until reliable technology can catch up. You see, they have discovered a four inch crack in one of the rocket boosters! Can you say Boom!
WOW pea...you go...
Well it looks like they launched it after all.
Joy - I guess that's my larger point, too...why does the U.S. have to foot the bill for restocking the space station? Do other countries launch supplies up there? I mean, for all I know, they do, and we just don't hear about it on our news circuit.
Yeah, and we never landed on the moon either. It was a very elaborate hoax......My goodness, what is this blog coming too.
Ok, I didn't even read it this time....
That's how I roll though.
Umm, my husband goes outside at the percise times the shuttle is traveling over our house. He hasn't seen it yet... but he gets 5 gold stars for effort!
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