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Atlantis Lands, Ending the Shuttle Era

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the we'll-miss-you dept.

Early this morning Atlantis landed at KSC in Florida. I've been following the trip intently ever since my trip to Florida to see the launch of the very last Shuttle. This really is the end of an era. Thanks go out to the thousands of NASA employees who made this happen, many of whom have been laid off. A number of them emailed me directly showing me pictures and sharing stories. I wish you all the best. As for America, here's hoping that we return to space soon.

8 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. All That Knowledge... by sycodon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...walking (booted) out the door. In 5 years NASA couldn't launch a shuttle even if they took Atlantis, mothballed it and all the facilities because no one will know how to do it anymore.

    When they started working on Ares they had to send engineers out to look at the Saturn 5 rocket in Houston to try to rediscover its technology because all of the institutional knowledge was gone. And even after that, they killed it.

    Imagine what it must be like to be an engineer at NASA...”work on this, no, work on that. Wait, forget that and do this. Never mind, do this instead”. You've all been there in IT probably.

    If there ever was a time to establish clear, long term goals and technology focus, now is it. But they will drift aimlessly, buffeted by the whims of the Administration and Congress.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    1. Re:All That Knowledge... by GooberToo · · Score: 1, Interesting

      However, your point about the schizophrenic management is correct; since then he's worked on X-33, X-34, Ares I, and Ares V guidance/control systems/simulations, with effectively nothing to show for it.

      If anything, that only validates how extremely poorly run NASA is. The fact they want to create a guidance system for any specific craft is stupid, expensive, and extremely wasteful, especially knowing full well how schizophrenic major projects like that are.

      Had they actually wanted to do what's right rather than just burn USD, they would have many projects completely distinct from projects like the X-33, X-34, Ares I, and Ares V, and so on. Its not like guidance is actually distinct. They all require guidance. A single, re-usable guidance system should be developed. This would actually save massive tax dollars and only require minor adaptation for specific application, be it X-33, X-34, Ares I, and Ares V, or whatever.

      NASA needs to die because they purposely do everything they can to poorly manage their available resources just so they can justify an ever growing budget.

      Keep in mind, I'm a massive supporter of NASA, but I extremely tired of all the purposeful waste for the sole purpose and waste.

    2. Re:All That Knowledge... by Teancum · · Score: 3, Interesting

      While NASA might not be able to launch a shuttle, there certainly are several people who can, and are American as well. Just because NASA development efforts are falling apart and it seems like the bureaucracy at NASA is too big for its own good, that doesn't mean the knowledge is being lost either.

      Instead, the real development efforts are now happening with private efforts. Anybody with half a brain and wants to design rockets that really fly, which will carry real cargo and real passengers into orbit are now no longer working for NASA or even many of the major contractors for NASA. Instead, they are working at places like SpaceX, Orbital, Blue Origin, Xcor, or Bigelow Aerospace. They are making things that either have or will shortly go into space.

      The real proof that something has changed is how Boeing is treating spacecraft development. They have essentially ignored any direction from NASA in terms of designs and even they went and built their own spacecraft (the CST-100) that will fit on top of one of their own launchers (Delta IV). The technology to go into space is alive and well, with a whole group of people who know how to do it and are doing it routinely. It just isn't going through NASA centers for direction, planning, or funding any more.

      I think that is a good thing, although the question begs to be asked, why keep NASA around anymore? If the vehicles being designed by NASA engineers or through NASA directorates keep getting canceled and there is no clear focus in terms of what to do next, I certainly wouldn't want to stick around if I was an employee there. The exciting stuff isn't happening at NASA any more, and they aren't even getting into space and doing stuff. Even the science directorates are being cut back.... for what? A big rocket that will never be used for a mission that is irrelevant because the destination that is its only purpose will no longer exist by the time it is built? Yeah, that is real inspiration to me.

    3. Re:All That Knowledge... by Suzuran · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Does your father have any Saturn guidance software source code AT ALL, or any knowledge of where it might be?
      We have been desperately searching for the Saturn LVDC guidance software for years now, even to the extreme of obtaining core planes from a LVDC and trying to read them out.
      If your father has any prints at all, or any knowledge of where the software might be, we DESPERATELY need to hear from him!

    4. Re:All That Knowledge... by Grishnakh · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Exactly. Plus, the parts these systems are built from change over time. Just look at how fast semiconductors are obsoleted, or new and better ones come onto the market. You wouldn't want to use a 30-year-old guidance/control system on a brand-new spacecraft. Some or even much of the overall design and software may be the same or similar, but it'll probably be running on updated hardware and take advantage of other newer techniques.

      It's like the Linux kernel. It's 20 years old now, but that doesn't mean a modern Linux system is running 20-year-old software. The people involved have changed and improved so many things in it that it's scarcely the same, however many of the fundamentals are still the same and some of the code hasn't changed because it hasn't needed to. They didn't just quit when they hit 2.0 or whatever; they kept making it better and better.

    5. Re:All That Knowledge... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      When they started working on Ares they had to send engineers out to look at the Saturn 5 rocket in Houston to try to rediscover its technology because all of the institutional knowledge was gone.

      We tried for a while to put the knowledge into Wikipedia, but it was deleted due to "original research".

      No, I am absolutely not kidding.

  2. End of U.S manned space flight capability(?) by MrKaos · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is a sad day because I see no realistic plans to replace the shuttle's capability of putting a human in space, even if it's only LEO. It looks like pretty much everything to replace it has been canceled.

    N.A.S.A, another victim of the Iraq war. Such a pity to witness it's demise.

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  3. Re:Mixed feelings by SenseiLeNoir · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Althoguh I am british, I grew up in the 80's, and the spaceshuttle is one of those defining items of that era. I was saddended when chanllenger exploded, and even more upset when Colmbia exploded. I deep down expected it to finish its working life and end up in a Museum. Also to see some "anti-west" groups in the middle east "celebrate" the explosion really upset me.

    Jeremy Clarkson wrote a book once, called "You've got soul". IT describes "machines" that are more than just a hunk of metal/plastic/etc, but have an affect on human psyche that incites adoration, and the impression of "soul". He described Concorde as one such machine. I would say the Shuttle is also one of such machine.

    Congratulations to all involved, and remmber those who lost their lives.

    --
    Have a nice day!