This is who we were, once upon a time in America

[Xipe Totec]

I grieve for what we've lost.

Whether I deserved it or not, by chance I was in the VIP viewing section of Mission Control during this historical flight. I went on to participate in some small way on the first four test flights of the space shuttle.

Those were the glory days.

Some day, many years after this orange catastrophe, maybe we will regain our place in the world as leaders and beacons.

But not today.

[Drum]

1. ...

[FadedMullet]

2. Xipe - Thanks for posting this. Glory days indeed.

[pfitz59]

3. The nation's politicians have failed us

Letting the oligarchs set the agenda.

[JMCKUSICK]

4. Thanks Xipe Totec,

for what we gained in some small way thanks to you! It will be people like you, coming home, to bring back that glory.

[Buddyzbuddy]

5. Can anybody tell me why America stopped the space shuttle program?

This is something, in my opinion, that never should have been privatized.
Not to change the subject, but our military never should have been privatized either. Another bright idea implemented by the Republicans, Bush/Cheney.

[whopis01]

8. The shuttle program was never truly successful

The cost of getting material to orbit was tremendous compared to modern launch systems.

The shuttle cost about $54,500/kg to LEO (Low-Earth-Orbit). A Falcon 9 costs about $2,720/kg to LEO. Basically 5% of the cost.

While the shuttle was originally intended to have many civil applications, the cost of operations made that difficult to achieve.

The timetable for launches never came close to what the original goals were. The system had critical design flaws and it just wasn't going to get better.

I worked for NASA on the shuttle program in the late 80s to the mid 90s. Was there for Endeavour's first flight. It was amazing to see but, as much as it saddens me to say it, it was far from a successful system.


https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20200001093

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/cost-space-launches-low-earth-orbit

[Buddyzbuddy]

9. Thank you very much.

I thought somebody here might have a rational non political answer. And you are the perfect person to do so. Thank you for your service and response.
That's something I had a difficult time understanding, until now. I was born in '63 and have always been fascinated with NASA.

[KT2000]

6. I remember feeling pride

in our country. I was secure knowing we could do anything.

[raccoon]

7. I wish Jesse Welles would see this and write a song about it.