OT - Space Shuttle Poll
 

Will the space shuttle mission with a planned launch for July 13th start/end in catastrophe again, or will it be a resounding success and reinvigorate the space shuttle program?

I think it'll be a success, but I'm surprised they're "risking it" by going before all the recommendations have been met. Then again, I don't know rocket science, so I'm not sure if all the recommendations are a sham or not.

I'd vote that the shuttle would crash if I knew John Travolta was the pilot...

Pretty much the pricks previously in charge are gone.

Hopefully the guy who wrote the "So the plan is to do nothing and just cross our fingers on re-entry?" memo is in charge of something.

How about the missing choice? "It will go off as planned, America will pay attention for a few days before/after landing, then ignore it like they used to?"

Word, except I'd strike the "pay attention" part. The only time most Americans are interested in the space shuttle is when one blows up.

Space Shuttle is vital to our continuing a human presence in space. Shuttle is going to be used just long enough to complete the space station and then retired. Space station is critical for any next step involving moon colonies and future Mars missions. Although the really good news in all this are the guys doing space on the private side. Sixty minutes featured them on Sunday. Innovative and not bound by red-tape, NASA could stand to learn some things from them.

I would feel odd about betting on the fate of crew members.

3 to 1 odds good enough for ya senator?

It's hard to imagine a scenario where this space shuttle has problems.

When the space program was first getting launched (no pun intended), NASA claimed to have failure rates of about 1 in 10,000. After the latest disaster that claim has basically been tossed out the window and most people with any knowledge of the program accept that failure rates are probably closer to 1 in 100.

I think the big question is, at that 1/100 number, are we willing to continue the space program?

~rpi-fan

Pick em

I'm reminded of this quote from the cinematic masterpiece "Armageddon:"

Rockhound (Steve Buscemi): You know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn't it?

They survive and learn a lot from their study of the impact of weightlessness on cucumbers.

I'm somewhere between Sachmo's answer & NoMyths' answer.

Same.

It's a shame as I really love the space program, but no one else in this country seems to care. Maybe if we shot Michael Jackson, that runaway bride, Terry Schiavo's body, and a missing kid from Aruba into space- then NASA would get some airplay.

SI

I'm not a fan of the space program at all. When it comes to NASA all I can see is all sorts of money flying out the window with no real purpose.

I think the current rate of disaster is once in every 84 shuttle mission? We have awhile to wait for the next tragedy.

Anyone gonna take the bait? I'm full.

Sure I appreciate some of their inventions, velcro and such, but the whole sending ships to space thing is a sham.

I guess we can rule you out as being Columbus in a previous life...

Bad choice. Now all the revisionists can talk about how he sure as heck didn't go around butchering Native Americans, etc, and completely miss the point of your analogy.

SI

or Magellan.

I was a kid when the space shuttles first started flying. I've always been into space flight. I am all for this mission to be a success. I just have my doubts with equipment that is that old.
I flew these rockets this past weekend:
The Ram II rocket goes 900 feet. Awesome.

ding!

I blame Nasa PR for their budget problems. Have you seen the NASA channel? IF you can watch some idiot cooking dinner on TLC, why not Some Astronaut from space cooking dinner? Should we watch white trash build a motorcycle or 2 astronauts Pass out in a weightlessness chamber? No PR is why Congress has completely gutted the Program

IN other words.

You get what you pay for.
Or.
If you are not going to do something right, you shouldn't do it at all.