It's still 19 Shuttle flights to go, new launch dates

[dobbins]

Festina Lente<br />(Make haste slowly)<br />Caesar Augustus<br /><br />Makes sense to me. There is nothing stopping the preparations for the flights and it lessens the chance of the Media screaming "Another Shuttle Delay" if things don't work out for the May launch.<br /><br />

 

[jetman1]

Rookie here. <br />Could it be possible and practical to use the a Space Shuttle as an initial moon base? <br />Seems it would be a better use for a retired shuttle then having it sit in a museum somewhere and the cost and time savings would seem to be large. <br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[darkenfast]

Unfortunately, the shuttle is not designed for anything other than flights to Low Earth Orbit. If somehow, it was launched to the Moon, it would not be able to land, as its wings are useless in a vacuum. I don't believe the Orbital Maneuvering Engines on the back end would have the capability to slow it down for a landing (or more likely, a controlled crash, given the layout). <br /><br />The other problem is that most of the orbiter is not pressurized; only the cabin up front has an atmosphere. The rest of it would be unusable as a base. <br /><br />I fear the only thing from the Orbiter other than EVA suits that will have any real value are the Space Shuttle Main Engines (and very valuable they are), and (I assume) various segments of Solid Rocket Boosters, which could be incorporated into the new launcher.<br /><br />Don't forget the Space Transportation System also includes a huge amount of ground infrastructure, some of which goes back to Apollo. The Vehicle Assembly Building, Launch Complex 39 (A and B), and a lot of other elements will all continue in service. <br /><br />

 

[para3]

Logic told me the same things about a shuttle not being able to land on the moon as well, such as not having an atmosphere, since wings depend on atmospheric pressure to work, etc, etc. <br /><br />Even though the shuttle is designed for low orbits, I still find the STS really awesome and I hate to see it go out like the dinosaurs. But, I realize that NASA needs to get out of this rut and move onto something new or something we can start again like going back to the moon and even setting up bases there.<br /><br />I feel like astronauts will have to learn to live on the moon first before they can go to Mars which I really find very improbable. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font size="3" color="#99cc00">.....Shuttle me up before I get tooooooooo old and feeble.....</font></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong><font size="4" color="#ff6600">---Happiness is winning a huge lottery--- </font></strong></p> </div>

 

[jetman1]

Ahh that makes sense. Didn't realize that only the front portion was pressurized. <br />it's sad all the wasted time we've spent on the shuttle only to scrap them. <br /><br />thanks for the info. <br />

 

[JonClarke]

Just because the shuttle era is coming to an end and that there are better ways of doing things on the horizon does not mean the time of the shuttle was wasted.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[nyarlathotep]

Yes, now we know how to train ants in microgravity to sort tiny screws.<br /><br />Pretty much the only useful thing the shuttle has done is fix broken parts and install new electronics on the Hubble Space Telescope.

 

[telfrow]

<i>Yes, now we know how to train ants in microgravity to sort tiny screws. Pretty much the only useful thing the shuttle has done is fix broken parts and install new electronics on the Hubble Space Telescope. </i><br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>