What good is the space shuttle?

Watched part of the launch today and couldn't help but think: What's the point of all this anymore? What is the American taxpayer getting for their investment?

 

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Ennui.

 

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Are you referring to the vehicle itself (the shuttle) or the mission (manned space missions)?

 

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A disaster a decade?

 

to ambitious, it's designers spent to much attention to the cup holders and painting it nicly, The russian proton rockets are far more advancend then the shuttle.
Basicley the entire concept was bad, way to heavy; the configuration was bad rockets are far more stable with the capsule on top in stead of the sides.
But the prestige was good the shuttle is for looking at it's chouldn't be for actual flight.

 

In three years they are going to retire the entire fleet and use the same system as the Russians do now. Much more cost efficient.

 

How do they get the shuttle on the plane?

 

With a bunch of trolls pulling a bigggg rope, trust me!

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and there it is AGAIN.

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wow, when you latch on to somehting you don't let it go do you. Why does it bother you so much?
I know, I know. You're just giving me a hard time and don't mean it. Where have I heard that before. Do I need to pay for your theraphy as well as Shortey's?

ANYWAYS!!! Is there a crane? An elevator?

 

Can you pay for my therapy too? Or do I ask your husband first?

 

Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft

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Answer: cranes.

 

LOL, I think you self medicate and don't need therapy. If you let my husband join though, he may help pay for that self medicating.

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Thanks draqon.
I never expected to see a company plan. I expected military. I wonder how much American Airlines gets paid to haul it.

 

$50 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is between Boeing and NASA...American Airlines?

 

One Word: Hope

What does the American Taxpayer get in return for 50% of their investment: Not a whole lot that you can immediately see

 

Well, the shuttle was a mistake, but someone had to make that mistake of building the first space-plane-like vehicle. It is a giant drain, but next time someone wants to make a reusable shuttle-like ship, they can look back to the laundry list of shit that went wrong with this one. Honestly, half of it is likely overspending charachteristic of a government project. "Why buy this $30 power strip when I can get this one for $90, and who cares, the government will pay for it, so it doesn't matter if i run the department tab up a couple hundred percent..."

The next something like this to be built will be a whole lot better made simply because this series paved the way. Think of it as a REALLY expensive prototype series.

 

They spend that much because they are given a budget every year by the Government on how much money they get to spend in a given year. If they don't spend all the money in that year then it wont be good for them. They would then be losing money because the government just gives them enough for the next year to meet their salary needs.

 

the stripes and tail marking?? Isn't that an American Airlines plane?

 

...but Boeing made it. I really don't think AA has something to do with NASA...

 

You thought that too, huh?

Maybe it's time to try something NEW! "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." That pretty much sums up the whole space shuttle program.

Look, I'm all for cutting the government budget, but the ONE area we should be splurging is the ONE area that we all know will one day secure the future of humanity-- outer space. Fine... it's not profitable yet. Great. But you'd think we'd all be thinking, "um... there's six billion of us, we're still growing, it's getting crappy down here... let's at least get SOME of us living 'out there' so that our progeny is secure."

We spend $16 billion a year. I can't imagine why it's not about $50 billion. Cut fucking welfare and entitlements. Save the race and go to space.

~String