United States Space Program

[kbizz]

I think the space program is at an all time low. We aren't innovating and we don't even have a manned launch vehicle. The "new" Aries system is really nothing new, just a clever rearrangement of Space Shuttle parts and a step back in time to a capsule. How can NASA, the organisation that put men on the Moon (it happened), step down to putting people into low Earth orbit, and then to not even being able to send people up at all? Now we're going to bum rides off Russia or something. Oh well, the only time they put the shuttle to good use was when they repaired Hubble and build the ISS. The ISS is cool, but proves nothing. Same old tech, same old missions, same old space is boring. I'm pretty sure politics has some evil role in this. Their safety record is kinda crappy too. Three lost to crappy wiring in Apollo 1, seven to launching in the cold with Challenger, and seven to a genuine accident with Columbia. Pitiful

[0xsergy]

I think the space program is at an all time low. We aren't innovating and we don't even have a manned launch vehicle. The "new" Aries system is really nothing new, just a clever rearrangement of Space Shuttle parts and a step back in time to a capsule. How can NASA, the organisation that put men on the Moon (it happened), step down to putting people into low Earth orbit, and then to not even being able to send people up at all? Now we're going to bum rides off Russia or something. Oh well, the only time they put the shuttle to good use was when they repaired Hubble and build the ISS. The ISS is cool, but proves nothing. Same old tech, same old missions, same old space is boring. I'm pretty sure politics has some evil role in this. Their safety record is kinda crappy too. Three lost to crappy wiring in Apollo 1, seven to launching in the cold with Challenger, and seven to a genuine accident with Columbia. Pitiful

Here's a stat for you to think about. In the Iraq war(if I recall correctly, might've been one of the others however) the US spent over 786,000,000,000(almost an trillion). Since the space program has started 500b has been spent on it, in over FIFTY YEARS. Kind of silly, don't you think? This is why space advances aren't being made. Everyone's too busy killing each other instead of realizing that the earth is overpopulated as it is. Either we have to go to war, natures population control, or find and settle new planets and it seems like the USA is choosing the first option.

[TampaPowers]

I watched the last shuttle launch and the press conference on nasa tv and as far as i can tell their new launch vehicle wont be a step back. I have seen studies from 2004 for the new vehicle and they said its not far from them.
If you really think nasa aint doin any good, how about you apply for a job as mayor project manager and do better. After all their resources are not that great.

[kbizz]

I watched the last shuttle launch and the press conference on nasa tv and as far as i can tell their new launch vehicle wont be a step back. I have seen studies from 2004 for the new vehicle and they said its not far from them.
If you really think nasa aint doin any good, how about you apply for a job as mayor project manager and do better. After all their resources are not that great.

I didn't mean to sound like I was saying it was a step down, I looks to be a very capable system, but there's nothing really "new" about it. It uses a lot of shuttle components and has a supersized pod on top, all stuff that has been used before, in a new combination. It will be a good system, safer, more capable, and generally better, but the level of innovation at NASA doesn't seem to be keeping up with civilian firms. I doubt I could get a job at NASA though, I'm 16. I don't think they'd listen to me.