But at the same time, it’s to be expected given the age of the shuttles and the recent problems with their design. The time to take these vehicles out of service is long overdue. I’m not sure how long they’ve been in service, and I can’t find a number for it but to use a good guideline here.. I’m in my 30’s and I can’t remember a time when the space shuttle wasn’t in service. Most cars made that long ago haven’t lasted this long.
It’s a testament to NASA engineering that these vehicles have accomplished everything that they have to date, but I think that now is the time for a new vehicle designed for space travel. With current technology available, imagine what we could do up there… just imagine it. How cool is that thought?
For as long as I live, I’ll be a strong supporter of the space program. Everything that we learn about the universe teaches us more about ourselves because we came from the universe, (the mass in your body right now existed at the moment of the big bang. How neat is that to think about?). Study of the universe and space, and what we can do in space to advance medical treatment, crops and technologies… all of these things are beneficial to the whole of the human race.
I can’t imagine us sitting around, letting that chance for discovery simply slip through our fingers.
