Is the Shuttle Program Being Cut Short?

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Dominato3r

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2008
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Apparently they were designed to fly 100 missions? From what I'm reading they're all at ~35 flights.

So what happened? Are they in good enough condition to fly more? :hmm:
 
Farmer

Farmer

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2003
3,334
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It's not economically viable. Soyuz capsules are cheaper.

The Orion CEV was supposed to be a cheaper shuttle replacement similar to Soyuz/Apollo, but Obama scrapped everything. I think now it's some new thing using a shuttle-derived launch vehicle.

IMO, we really can't afford to spend extravagantly on ISS, which is decommissioning in a few years anyway. It's like the world's most expensive tech demo.
 
MovingTarget

MovingTarget

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2003
9,002
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It should've been retired years ago despite the technological marvel that it is. It didn't live up to its promises of cheap reusability. We should be on shuttle v.2 right now based on the lessons we learned.
 
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Paul98

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2010
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It was designed for cheap reliable flights, but it failed at that.

I sure hope that comment about Obama was supposed to be a joke.
 
R

Redfraggle

Platinum Member
Jan 19, 2009
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The things I've read indicate that they weren't meant to fly those missions over as long a period as we've have then in use. Plus, they failed a lot (as mentioned) and should have been replaced with something more reliable years ago.
 
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Dominato3r

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2008
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JPS35 said:
Obama happened...
Click to expand...

Explain?

I know he cancelled the Constellation program, but other than that there's really nothing else iirc.


Also, what happens to the space telescope? Without the shuttles we can't service it can we?
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
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Politics got in the way of a good idea. The project was doomed from the beginning once some idiot got the idea of one vehicle with a dual purpose: manned space flight AND lifting things into orbit.
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
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Dominato3r said:
Explain?

I know he cancelled the Constellation program, but other than that there's really nothing else iirc.


Also, what happens to the space telescope? Without the shuttles we can't service it can we?
Click to expand...

The replacement telescope - (James Webb Space Telescope) will NOT be in low earth orbit. But, the major screw-up with the Hubble did provide the shuttles with opportunities to actually do something useful.
 
Tsavo

Tsavo

Platinum Member
Sep 29, 2009
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They were supposed to be used more frequently over a shorter period of time instead of much less frequently over a much longer period of time.
 
The Boston Dangler

The Boston Dangler

Lifer
Mar 10, 2005
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DrPizza said:
Politics got in the way of a good idea. The project was doomed from the beginning once some idiot got the idea of one vehicle with a dual purpose: manned space flight AND lifting things into orbit.
Click to expand...

"it's a pickup truck for space!"

a pickup that houses 7 for 2 weeks, plus everything else going up and coming down. seriously, what would have been much better is a man-rated heavy lifter, a modular station, and a permanently orbiting pickup truck.
 
Tsavo

Tsavo

Platinum Member
Sep 29, 2009
2,645
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The Boston Dangler said:
"it's a pickup truck for space!"

a pickup that houses 7 for 2 weeks, plus everything else going up and coming down. seriously, what would have been much better is a man-rated heavy lifter, a modular station, and a permanently orbiting pickup truck.
Click to expand...

Hard to argue with that.
 
P

Paul98

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2010
3,732
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Dominato3r said:
Explain?

I know he cancelled the Constellation program, but other than that there's really nothing else iirc.


Also, what happens to the space telescope? Without the shuttles we can't service it can we?
Click to expand...


No need to, instead just launching out a new space telescope.
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,511
14,900
146
Cut short? No, IMO, it's outlived its original design plan.

Should we abandon space entirely? Fuck no...and I'd love to see the shuttles be used to haul components for a REAL space station into orbit...a space station where, not only could we continue to perform beneficial experiments, but also that could be used as a launch platform for interplanetary exploration.
There's no gawd-damned good reason for us to NOT send an expedition to Mars...or beyond.

Of course, I've been "told" since the early 60's that it would look similar to this:

Space+Station+V.JPG


Which may or may not be the best possible design with today's technology...but the abortion that is the ISS certainly isn't a real workable design...and should be abandoned once a REAL space station is built.

HOWEVER, that will cost money...and since the US is having so many financial difficulties as is, it will never be built...by us anyway.
 
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Elias824

Elias824

Golden Member
Mar 13, 2007
1,100
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The program is being ended according to plan, the problem was no obama canceled the constellation program that was supposed to replace it and the next moon mission that was suppose to take place in 2025. Now we have to beg for a ride from the Russians, how pathetic is that. America is a country in decline the longer it takes us to realize it the harder its going to be.
 
Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
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xSauronx said:
slashdottyness with links

http://science.slashdot.org/story/11/07/07/0038247/Congress-Dumps-James-Webb-Space-Telescope

my jaw dropped at the headline :-/
Click to expand...
.....
Everything Congress does makes me love them even more.
D:

I need to find a group of rhesus monkeys which have had their brains excised for lab experiments, and put them into office, and see if the quality of decisions changes noticeably.

They've already got a fair amount of money invested into the project, mainly to design and build the damn thing. And they want to cancel it now?

Dear Science and The Pursuit of Knowledge: Sorry, but, well, you don't matter. At least, not unless you use that science stuff to find new ways of killing people. That will get you funding.


(That said, I guess it turns into a sunk-cost type of debate now though. Pull the plug on something that's over-budget, and hope something cheaper can be built...eventually. From the Wiki entry: "A review of NASA budget records and status reports by journalists at Florida Today show the Webb observatory is plagued by many of the same problems that have plagued several other major NASA projects. Mistakes included: underestimates of the telescope’s cost that failed to budget for expected technical glitches, and failure to act on warnings that budgets were being exceeded, thus extending the schedule and increasing costs further." Bad project management. Bluh.)
 
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