STS-135: Here today, gone tomorrow

[davidsinn]

If the AF Museum got one, why not one to the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola?  There were likely as many Navy and Marine astronauts as there were AF.

I suspect that the Midwest didn't get one because there were darned few places in the Midwest that had close associations to the Shuttle program like the places on the East and West Coasts.  I never saw a launch or recovery in the midwest and the control sites for the missions were either East, West or at Houston.  In fact, I think that Houston is to get one.

In a year or two, very few people will even remember when the Shuttle flew.

The USAF helped pay for the thing. It was taxpayer funded. That means that all tax payers should have an equal chance to see it.

The space shuttle Atlantis will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida; the Endeavour, at the California Science Center in Los Angeles; the Discovery, at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia; and the test shuttle, Enterprise, at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. said during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center.

Kennedy already has an orbiter. I don't see why they should have two.

[NIN]

EDIT:
After Googling:

   
• OV-098 (unofficial and honorary) - Space Shuttle Pathfinder, a structural mockup
• OV-099 - Space Shuttle Challenger, originally STA-099
• OV-101 - Space Shuttle Enterprise
• OV-102 - Space Shuttle Columbia
• OV-103 - Space Shuttle Discovery
• OV-104 - Space Shuttle Atlantis
• OV-105 - Space Shuttle Endeavour

I mixed up Atlantis and Discovery like I thought I might have. The last ground test article was never named.

Yeah, you're missing OV-095

/space geek

[davidsinn]

EDIT:
After Googling:

   
• OV-098 (unofficial and honorary) - Space Shuttle Pathfinder, a structural mockup
• OV-099 - Space Shuttle Challenger, originally STA-099
• OV-101 - Space Shuttle Enterprise
• OV-102 - Space Shuttle Columbia
• OV-103 - Space Shuttle Discovery
• OV-104 - Space Shuttle Atlantis
• OV-105 - Space Shuttle Endeavour

I mixed up Atlantis and Discovery like I thought I might have. The last ground test article was never named.

Yeah, you're missing OV-095

/space geek

I left it off on purpose because it's not a full airframe.

[DC]

Kennedy already has an orbiter. I don't see why they should have two.

It's not real, it's a mock up that people can climb up into. Also, last time I saw it (2009), it was not in the best of shape.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Explorer

As the site of every Shuttle launch, ever, and the de facto home of the Shuttle fleet, I'd say Kennedy is the one place that without a doubt deserves one.

[davidsinn]

Kennedy already has an orbiter. I don't see why they should have two.

It's not real, it's a mock up that people can climb up into. Also, last time I saw it (2009), it was not in the best of shape.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Explorer

Still better than what the rest of the country will get. Don't forget that we've paid for this waste of money too.

I'm not against space exploration I just think the shuttle program was the worst way to do it.

[DC]

Kennedy already has an orbiter. I don't see why they should have two.

It's not real, it's a mock up that people can climb up into. Also, last time I saw it (2009), it was not in the best of shape.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Explorer

Still better than what the rest of the country will get. Don't forget that we've paid for this waste of money too.

I'm not against space exploration I just think the shuttle program was the worst way to do it.

The KSC Visitor's Center is self supporting, no taxpayer money is used to fund it.

I don't disagree that the Shuttle program was an unfortunate diversion, at least past 1990. It did not achieve what it was supposed to do, make LEO flights routine and cheap. That said, I grew up in the Shuttle era and still have a great deal of affection for it. They were truly workhorse spacecraft, and still have done some incredible things to advance human knowledge.

[NIN]

EDIT:
After Googling:

   
• OV-098 (unofficial and honorary) - Space Shuttle Pathfinder, a structural mockup
• OV-099 - Space Shuttle Challenger, originally STA-099
• OV-101 - Space Shuttle Enterprise
• OV-102 - Space Shuttle Columbia
• OV-103 - Space Shuttle Discovery
• OV-104 - Space Shuttle Atlantis
• OV-105 - Space Shuttle Endeavour

I mixed up Atlantis and Discovery like I thought I might have. The last ground test article was never named.

Yeah, you're missing OV-095

/space geek

I left it off on purpose because it's not a full airframe.

Dunno if I'd call OV-098 a "full airframe." Its made of wood, for cryin' out loud.  It didn't even carry an OV- designation originally.

Unlike SAIL.

[Майор Хаткевич]

From what it seems, the shuttle was supposed to support the development of a space station that would be the launch point for so much more. Of course, there were 20 years between when the Shuttle showed up, and the ISS was really workable.

I'm more surprised, reading on the reasons to cancel the Apollo program. Such as the Venus flyby plans, the Mars missions, the grand tour, and of course the nuclear rocket engine that was totally operational but was never used...

[JC004]

...
The KSC Visitor's Center is self supporting, no taxpayer money is used to fund it.
...

That's very true.  It is run by the same company that runs the stuff in Yosemite National Park.

[MIKE]

There goes my chances.

[NIN]

Here, take a listen.

http://www.archive.org/details/FinalLaunchOfEndeavour

[Eclipse]

http://www.hulu.com/watch/258671/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-final-countdown



"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Don't say astronaut..."

"..."

"...were you going to say astronaut?"

"Yeaah..."

Joking aside, the fact that a large segment of the population really do think this

is the crew of Apollo 13 is part of the problem.

[Persona non grata]

There goes my chances.

Mike: I just cross trained to being a A-747 door gunner, not as exciting as being a space shuttle door gunner.  My squadron still has a few slots open ,I can put in a word.

[titanII]

Joking aside, the fact that a large segment of the population really do think this

is the crew of Apollo 13 is part of the problem.

Oh my gosh... As a space geek I would probably flip a **** if I heard that. You HAVE to share that story

[Eclipse]

SomaFM is running their Mission Control feed which is a mixture of space music and STS-135 audio.

http://somafm.com/missioncontrol/

Smooth air on the way down, guys!

[Майор Хаткевич]

And it's down.

Where do I deposit my regulation one tear?

[Eclipse]

I had the audio running and woke up briefly to hear when the front wheels touched down.  ((*sniff*))

If I was the pilot I would totally steal the hood ornament on the way out!

[Smokey]

Unfortunately the CAP Shuttle Team at Edwards didn't get a chance to play on this final landing.   AT EOM brief yesterday @Edwards there were about 6 folks who were also there for the first shuttle landing ever (at Edwards) in Mar 1981!

I am proud to have been part of history and having been the DO for 5 shuttle landings.

Been there, Done that, got the t-shirt( really...wearing it right now!)

[MikeD]

Unfortunately the CAP Shuttle Team at Edwards didn't get a chance to play on this final landing.   AT EOM brief yesterday @Edwards there were about 6 folks who were also there for the first shuttle landing ever (at Edwards) in Mar 1981!

I am proud to have been part of history and having been the DO for 5 shuttle landings.

Been there, Done that, got the t-shirt( really...wearing it right now!)

Hopefully some work supporting DreamChaser landings here and maybe some of the other commercial crew systems.  Except I think we need to change the SOW so that a DFRC version cross-trained as MS/MO is onboard every flight...  :angel:

[PHall]

Unfortunately the CAP Shuttle Team at Edwards didn't get a chance to play on this final landing.   AT EOM brief yesterday @Edwards there were about 6 folks who were also there for the first shuttle landing ever (at Edwards) in Mar 1981!

I am proud to have been part of history and having been the DO for 5 shuttle landings.

Been there, Done that, got the t-shirt( really...wearing it right now!)

Hopefully some work supporting DreamChaser landings here and maybe some of the other commercial crew systems.  Except I think we need to change the SOW so that a DFRC version cross-trained as MS/MO is onboard every flight...  :angel:

What the heck is a "DFRC version"?