What is the reason given for stopping launches of space shuttle?

[Stuart G]

For some reason, I missed that discussion. Obama made this decision. Why?
Thanks for those that reply. I appreciate it.

[sudopod]

1. Apathy and a terminal lack of curiosity.

A withered sense of wonder, a failing of imagination.

[Skip Intro]

13. Awesome reply. Could explain so much more about modern society and the human condition. nt

[stevedeshazer]

2. The same reason I stopped driving my 1971 Datsun.

The shuttles are nearly 40 years old.

[Cereal Kyller]

15. I'd rather go up on a 40-year-old shuttle than a Soyuz

The Russians have a HORRIBLE safety record!

[miyazaki]

26. Soyuz is one of the most dependable systems made. wtf? n/t

[Peacetrain]

3. Actually this has nothing to do with the President.. this was the scheduled end

Great video that explains it

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/07/07/eitm.zarrella.shuttle.nasa.cnn?hpt=hp_t1

[sharp_stick]

4. Are you sure Obama made the decision?

I'm amazed at how people so clueless about something seem so sure of the people that "must" have made the decision. Maybe a little research on your own would be advantageous.

IT'S OBAMA'S FAULT!!! EVERYTHING BAD IN THE WORLD IS OBAMA'S FAULT

The number of pathetic and downright ignorant posts on this site is kind of frightening. If this is the best the left has to offer the left is fucking dead.

I'll help you a little on your way to at least partial enlightenment. The fact that this needs to be done is fucking pathetic as is the OP.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-20077756-76/atlantis-launch-a-bittersweet-end-for-space-shuttle/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_program#Retirement

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Your point was completely overwhelmed by your tone.

Consequently, you likely came out worse than had you never posted a reply.

[sharp_stick]

10. My tone was meant

to express exasperation, sometimes it just gets the best of me. The guy with no profile has more than 1,0000 posts. IMO he should at least have a basic understanding of a topic before he tosses around fault.

It would be just as dumb if I was to bitch and moan at NOAA because my picnic was rained out today when I was to lazy to check the forecast.

[Stuart G]

17. Kinda nasty here......so I will respond.

My Original Post should have said...

"Did Obama make this decision?"
...I just wanted to know more about why the flights are being stopped. Got some very good answers..But original post was meant to find out, not to blame..
I am not interested in blaming anyone..gee.??is that so pathetic?

[lbrtbell]

20. OP asked a polite question

You, on the other hand, come off as a total douche.

[Starry Messenger]

5. Moving to privatization of shuttle flights.

My theory anyway (and dislike). http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/08/esther-dyson-space/

Today might have marked the last Space Shuttle launch, but it is not the end of people going into space. In fact, technologist, angel investor, and space privatization advocate Esther Dyson says it’s only “the end of the beginning” and that private companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, and Xcor will fill in the gap.

Mmm, for-profit space travel. What could possibly go wrong? :sarcasm:

[defendandprotect]

16. True -- they privatized large areas of NASA -- and only created problems ... !!

Actually, think we will find that we are earthbound due to Van Allen Radiation Belt

which is even more extensive than they originally thought --

Some say the atomic bombs they exploded in outer space in 1960's was an attempt to

try to knock out the Van Allen Radiation Belt -- !!

If we're going anywhere it has to be unmanned -- which probably makes more sense, anyway.


The secret seems to be in finding either the "speed" to get thru very quickly --

or that "Wrinkle in time" -- !!

[backscatter712]

6. The shuttles themselves are expensive hangar queens, and long in the tooth.

They cost nearly half a billion dollars per launch, which is insane - they have to be overhauled for every mission. Newer technology can get astronauts and cargo up for maybe a tenth of the cost.

That, and the shuttles are physically wearing out - they're going on 30 years old, and NASA has to worry about things like metal fatigue in the airframe, keeping computers & electronics using technology from the 70's working with chips & parts nobody makes any more, keeping those heat shield tiles from falling off, etc. etc. etc.

I love the shuttles, but I'm looking forward to SpaceX's Dragon's first manned mission.

[mn9driver]

8. We have cheaper, bigger, safer and more reliable heavy lift vehicles.

The international space station can do all of the science that requires people in orbit. It's a drag that the US is out of the manned spaceflight business for now, but hopefully it won't be permanent.

[bananas]

9. Bush made the decision to cancel the shuttle - it was part of his "Vision for Space Exploration"

edit to add:
He cancelled a lot of other space missions for that, too.
The reason is that VSE was so expensive, it consumed most of NASA's budget.

[Mendocino]

11. Q: Why do we need the shuttle?

A: To support the ISS (International Space Station)

Q: Why do we need the ISS?

A: To give the shuttle something to do.

Heard this on Comedy Central years ago.

[buddysmellgood]

12. It's funny, but it's not a joke

[Mendocino]

22. On a related note

I visited the Kennedy Space Center on April 2 1970, Apollo 13 was in the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) at the time. Eight days later it was launched and I guess you know the rest.

[El Supremo]

14. We found nothing to exploit.

Face it. We're stuck with this increasingly polluted planet.

[Motown_Johnny]

18. they are old and no longer safe, two have already failed and killed 14

It was a good idea that didn't work


The cost savings of a reusable launch vehicle never panned out, the maintenance was to high

[SoCalDem]

19. I recall the Bush admin "reshaping" the space program

and putting people in place whose goal was to downsize/defund it.

Since the space programs need a LONG "pre-game" work up, I would suspect that a lot of programs languished for those 8 years, and now we find ourselves at the end of the shuttle program, without a seamless transition into the "next thing"..

of course now our "next thing" seems to be a PRIVATE enterprise to a large degree, so who knows how it will pan out..

[sudopod]

21. Bush killed the shuttle itself.

NASA, with it's shrinking budget, designed Constellation to fill the shuttle's old role and possibly even get us into interplanetary space. Constellation was to have used off-the-shelf parts, including many shuttle components that are already well-understood and well-documented, and for which there are (were) existing manufacturing facilities. It was trying to be Apollo for the modern age. It was designed to do so flexibly and on the cheap. It was made to withstand not only the rigors of space travel, but to withstand all manner of Congressional attacks and budget cuts, provided it wasn't zeroed out.

Obama killed Constellation, ostensibly because it wasn't "innovative."

[ThoughtCriminal]

23. Serious design flaws

It is an amazing machine, but 2 of the 5 built had catastrophic failures that killed everybody on board. We needed a much more practical, cheaper and safer for space transportation.

[elocs]

24. Listened to coverage on NPR this morning

and they talked about how the space shuttle never lived up to its original expectations, that trips into space would become commonplace with quick turnarounds and many more than just astronauts would be going into space. It just never happened.

It was also said that the military came to find the shuttle to not be dependable and it was originally believed that they would commonly use it for their payloads.

The space shuttle never evolved into what it originally was envisioned to be.

[moondust]

25. I don't know but

haven't we pretty much exhausted the useful exploration of near space?