Space program coming to an end

[-HP-]

A lot of people is probably aware of this already, as it was all over the news but I think It's worth a mention here.

As space shuttle Atlantis's wheels touched down in Florida on Thursday, the shuttles' epoch of defining manned spaceflight came to a close.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14220423

The US space agency's intention is to invite the private sector to provide it with space transport services, and a number of commercial ventures already have crew ships in development.

These are unlikely to be ready to fly for at least three or four years, however.

I think it's up to Carmack now.

[-HP-]

http://360vr.com/2011/06/22-discovery-f ... index.html

Those are a lot of buttons!

[Minos]

It's not the end of the Space program, they are just replacing the expensive space shuttles with cheaper rockets in the near future.

Here's hope Carmack develops the cool new rocket!!

[Warby]

i say bring on the space elevator !

[Skjalg]

i say bring on the space elevator !

you should read scalzis "old mans war"

[Serenius]

This is worse than when they shut down Star Wars Galaxies!

[Thrik]

This is worse than when they shut down Star Wars Galaxies!

[Steppenwolf]

They should just legalize drugs and sell them at Wall-Mart. Then everybody can be a space traveller.

[Sentura]

time to start the time travel program

[Seldoon182]

It's not the end of the Space program, they are just replacing the expensive space shuttles with cheaper rockets in the near future.

Here's hope Carmack develops the cool new rocket!!

what he said.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VASIMR

Other applications for VASIMR such as the rapid transportation of people to Mars would require a very high power, low mass energy source, such as a nuclear reactor (see nuclear electric rocket). NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that VASIMR technology could be the breakthrough technology that would reduce the travel time on a Mars mission from months to days

[-HP-]

[Minos]

Anyone with a slight interest in NASA and space exploration should check this out: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/nasa/nasa.html It's one of the best series I have ever seen

[sarge mat]

Its a shame they went to the moon and then did fuck all after that

[Rick_D]

well what do you want them to do

it's pretty impressive to just go to the moon..

[Serenius]

Its a shame they went to the moon and then did fuck all after that

What? They've put countless satellites into space, constructed a livable space station in orbit, sent a rover to Mars, collected tons of data on every known planet and moon in our solar system, and pioneered half the technology that ended up in consumer products that everyone uses on a daily basis. Birches up in here be crazy.