Like the budget and safety for the Moon program have been beefed up since that was last grounded?
You are right to be concerned that programs like the space station are unfortunately little more than publicity stunts. This isn't because of NASA so much as it is due to budget cutbacks. In our current modus operandi the manned missions aren't terribly impressive on the cost/benefit sheet, but there will likely come a time when manned missions become key again and if we decommission the manned flights now it will be significantly harder to resurrect them in the future. We don't have the capability currently to fly to the moon, though we did it over 30 years ago. Given that, if there is a choice to sacrifice either the unmanned missions that explore our neighboring planets, or to decommission the shuttle program, I would choose the shuttle program. From what I'm told by my friend who works in planetary science, we learn significantly more from the unmanned probes than we do on the shuttle missions. I just hope that choice doesn't have to be made. -Kevin > -----Original Message----- > From: Angel Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 9:16 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: space shuttle columbia accident > > > So how many people must be killed before you think it would be worth > looking at grounding the fleet until the budget and safety could be > beefed up? > > -Gel > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Dan Phillips [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > For as many missions as the shuttle has over over the last 20+ years and > to have only 2 accidents. I say that's pretty damn good. Car makers can > even come close to that and cars never leave the ground. > > It's a sad thing but it happens. I don't see the need to shut down the > whole thing because only 14 people have died in the history of the > shuttle. > > If we as a race, stop exploring new things everytime there is a tragedy, > we would never make it. > > You don't think a few cavemen got hurt of killed while discovering and > experiementing with fire? > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
