Does anyone actually CARE about these failed Shuttle launches?

[StageLeft]

Space Shuttles have been flying for years and years, and it seems that almost all of them are delayed because of weather or a piece that breaks at the last minute. But this seems to always make headline news! Why? Does anyone really care? I sure don't. Challenger was an unfortunate accident, but the media is really milking this scare of shuttle crashes it seems.

 

[Chef0083]

Well this is mostly because of the Challenger accident. The media is just aching for NASA to mess up so they will have something to gripe about. NASA in turn in super super careful to make sure something like that never happens again. I would hope every American cares about it because they are paying for it, and though they pay a bit more when there are delays but that would compare to the cost of lives and equipment if there was another accident.

10-9=2c
D

 

[StageLeft]

Well obviously everyone cares in that nobody wants another accident, but the media has been reporting these delays for years and years, when will they give up? Its very very very boring. I'd much rather hear about how Yugoslavia is doing now or the fact that Chile is telling its citizens to stay off the streets because of insanely high UV right now.

 

[warlord]

I care, I still think its a significant feat every time we travel into space and the astronauts return home safely. plus, they're building the international space station, thats a big deal.

 

[radiocore]

i care too, want to see our civ advance to the next frontier within my lifetime

 

[SKiller]

"Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics and you'll get ten different answers, but there's one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on: Whether it happens in a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years, eventually our Sun will grow cold and go out.
When that happens, it won't just take us. It'll take Marilyn Monroe and Lao-Tzu and Einstein and Morobuto and Buddy Holly and Aristophenes... and all of this... all of this was for nothing, unless we go to the stars." -jms

 

[Wangel]

I remember when the Space Shuttle flight got delayed because some tiles fell off. It so happened that this same day, some of my bathroom tiles came lose. I think it was a bad day for tiles. Perhaps a tile gremlin? I tried to call NASA to tell them about my bathroom tiles but they wouldn't take my call. What gratitude!

 

[Genius]

I personally don't think we need space exploration. We aren't here to consume this planet, watch it die, and then move on to the next victim. In any case, I'm glad that the colonization of other planets by us will never happen. Until then we can waste time trying...it's only money after all.

 

[Viperoni]

I think it would be cool to setup a colony of (a lot) of ppl on Mars.
But we'd have to do it right (proper garbage recycling, water filtration, etc.), get all the amnemeties we'd need, very well designed cities, stuff like that.
Then it'd be good.

 

[DaBoneHead]

The coverage for this launch is more than usual because it is the 100th mission.. the century mark for shuttle flight. Also, we are building a condo up there too, don't forget that.

I'm for space exploration... we will need a new home one day. And maybe the next home won't have to suffer the pollution and stuff because by the time we get to the point where space travel becomes feasible, we will have learned to live with the environment and not pollute.

 

[Ausm]

Yes because we are paying out the ass for them !!

Ausm

 

[woodie1]

Yes, I care and it beats the hell out of hearing about the Europeans killing each other.

 

[StageLeft]

woodie1 You don't really want to live in a bubble do you?

 

[Viperoni]

Actually, I think he lives in a wooden bubble, with a (tiny) wooden window.

 

[Electric Amish]

Genius- (and I use that term loosely), you think this civilization can continue to live on this one little planet? Even if we somehow create the ultimate energy efficient, tolerant, friendly, and intelligent society that is possible, we will still overpopulate this planet (if we haven't already). The world's population will continue to grow and we need somewhere to put all those people.

amish


btw- the news about the shuttle doesn't bother me as long as they only say a few words about it. No need for a full 30 minute expose.

 

[woodie1]

Yes, I guess I do live in a wooden bubble. With all the people saying you'll go to hell if you don't believe in god and then you have all these people killing each other over ethnic differences in every corner of the world plus ABC, CBS, NBS, PBS + are all broadcasting the debate tonight I look forward to my bubble. Thank you very much.

 

[blurredvisionx]

i don't care. i won't be alive when they start flying normal ppl out there, so i could care less.

 

[JellyBaby]

If I was a paranoid right-wing religious zealot convinced of liberal bias in the media, I might say the media enjoys showing Joe Q. Public how NASA sucks, in any way they can. After all, Gore plans to significantly cut funding for NASA space programs. But i'm not a nut.

Actually the coverage seems OK to me and I'm glad even NBC, the sludge of mainstream media, bothers to inform the public of shuttle missions. These are quite inspirational for some of us, me included, and I'm glad to be living in such exciting times. Even though I'll never make it into space, I hope to someday see a shuttle launch.

 

[StageLeft]

I know these things are important, and I hope that we do make it to the stars...cut to funding of NASA isn't a great thing! I just don't think it needs to be headline news, thats all!

 

[SKiller]

Space exploration and protecting the eviroment aren't mutually exclusive. We should do both.

I'd like to live long enough to see oil eliminated as the main guel/energy source AND see a Mars/Lunar/Space colony.