25 years of STS

[henryhallam]

STS-1 launched 25 years ago, on April 12th 1981.<br /><br />There's a nice article in Florida Today that's worth a read, taken with the usual Florida Today pinch of salt <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />I'd appreciate it if this thread didn't turn into a huge pile of shuttle-bashing rubbish. How about we pay a little tribute to the fine work done by those in the program over the years?

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

I was on the 528 bridge during the first countdown. We didn't have hotel reservations to wait the 2 days until the second countdown, and I believe my Dad didn't think it was going to launch that day either, so we watched it on TV. I saw STS-6 from the same 528 bridge, and had a car pass for STS-51D. I have seen more than a dozen launched since then, and I have been pretty close during the landing twice. It sure is louder than I thought it would be. <br /><br />Probably the thing that I will miss the most when the Shuttle is that beautiful "Boom-Boom" as it flies over at 40,000 feet......<br /><br />What an outstanding machine!, I just wish we had the guts to have used it to its full potential. With machines like that we could have 1,000 people living in LEO and more on the Moon right now. I guess we had better things to do with our money, can anybody tell me what they were? Because I can't think of many.<br /><br />I've said it before, I'll say it again, what an outstanding machine.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rvastro]

John Young and Bob Crippen are speaking tonight at the Sun-n-Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fl tonight. My fiancee and I are going to be in attendance--I we can find a seat.

 

[alokmohan]

Whats special about STS?Can u help .Admit ignorance.

 

[drwayne]

The Shuttle was a first reusable space plane, with all that entails (which is a lot).<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

I was in awe of how cool the Shuttle was in the 007 movie Moonraker. I was wishing then, like now, that Nasa would hurry up and launch. IMO it's a shame things didn't would out better for the STS, the greatest manned space vehicle and probably will continue to be for some time to come. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Thank you for enlightening.

 

[trailrider]

The Space Transportation System (STS), aka "Shuttle" has a LOT of faults...no question! But let's look at what the Shuttle HAS done for the space program:<br /><br />As originally conceived, the Shuttle was supposed to be a COMPLETELY reusable TSTO, with a MANNED flyback booster. That concept entailed FAR, FAR too many development problems, costing far more money than could be coaxed out of Congress (don't forget the Viet Nam War was still affecting our economy)! The concept was scaled back to the configuration we have been using for the past quarter-century!<br /><br />What were some of the advances and accomplishments of the Shuttle? It gave us a heavy-lift capability that sent the Hubble Space Telescope, probably the most useful tool for studying the Universe to come along so far! Shuttle gave us the capability to go up and REPAIR the flawed optical system that would have rendered the Hubble just about useless! Could a ballistically-recovered system, or an ELV have done the job? Perhaps... probably... MAYBE.<br /><br />Shuttle gave us the capillary-action Reaction Control System tanks, which allows more efficient attitude control capability. <br /><br />Shuttle has allowed us to recover the heaviest airborne payload from high altitude, the 175,000 lb. SRB's. That technology can be put to use in a number of applications!<br /><br />Shuttle has given us EXPERIENCE in space OPERATIONS. This will stand us in good stead, eventually!<br /><br />Shuttle has given us the experience in creating large diamter propellant tanks using manufacturing techniques and alloys that were not available heretofore.<br /><br />Shuttle has given us experience in designing Thermal Protection materials, and experience in trying to turn around for repeated launches. The fact that this has proven to be one of the major failings in the Shuttle design can be useful. Thomas Edison when asked what he learned from many, many UNsuccessful attempt to create a light bulb filament before finding one that

 

[qso1]

rocketwatcher2001:<br />I guess we had better things to do with our money, can anybody tell me what they were? Because I can't think of many.<br /><br />Me:<br />A $500 billion dollar S&L bailout, $250 plus billion dollar deficits in the 1980s, $400 billion dollar deficits the last 2 years, $20 billion or more lost by Medicare during a 2 year period in the 1990s, a rconstruction effort in Iraq costing about $100 billion annually now...just a few that came to my mind LOL. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

The biggest contribution among many made utilizing the shuttle, was its reuseability. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>