Comments on: The End of America’s Manned Space Program. http://www.thespacebuff.com/mars/the-end-of-americas-manned-space-program/ On the human and robotic adventures beyond Earth. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:45:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ray Katzhttp://www.thespacebuff.com/mars/the-end-of-americas-manned-space-program/#comment-289 Ray Katz Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:24:34 +0000 http://www.thespacebuff.com/uncategorized/the-end-of-americas-manned-space-program/#comment-289 These are good thoughts. I'm not really opposed to disposable rockets; the shuttle never measured up to its original promise. The Apollo hardware did everything we asked of it. In any case, given the current budgets, NASA may be giving up all manned spaceflight. NASA has excelled at unmanned missions...although even now missions to Mars sometimes fail. Hey, it IS rocket science...and exceedingly difficult. #4 is a very important point. I can't understand why we'd be retiring one vehicle before a replacement was ready. I guess that, too, came down to money. NASA wants to keep flying, but can't afford it. Thanks for your comments! These are good thoughts.

I’m not really opposed to disposable rockets; the shuttle never measured up to its original promise. The Apollo hardware did everything we asked of it. In any case, given the current budgets, NASA may be giving up all manned spaceflight.

NASA has excelled at unmanned missions…although even now missions to Mars sometimes fail. Hey, it IS rocket science…and exceedingly difficult.

#4 is a very important point. I can’t understand why we’d be retiring one vehicle before a replacement was ready. I guess that, too, came down to money. NASA wants to keep flying, but can’t afford it.

Thanks for your comments!

]]> By: Joe Hanyokhttp://www.thespacebuff.com/mars/the-end-of-americas-manned-space-program/#comment-288 Joe Hanyok Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:27:05 +0000 http://www.thespacebuff.com/uncategorized/the-end-of-americas-manned-space-program/#comment-288 Just a few thoughts: 1. It would have been more prudent to put a thermal liner inside the liquid fuel tank for the space shuttle. Would have saved two valuable flight crews. 2. The U.S. Gov't and NASA seem to be backsliding when they abandon winged space vehicles with pressurized cabins and go back to cramped capsules sitting atop onetime disposable rockets. 3. If the concern is safety, then just build unmanned probes and drones and launch them for space exploration. 4. Common sense would have dictated having a replacement launch vehicle before abandoning the one your using. 5. Good luck. Just a few thoughts:
1. It would have been more prudent to put a thermal liner inside the liquid fuel tank for the space shuttle. Would have saved two valuable flight crews.
2. The U.S. Gov’t and NASA seem to be backsliding when they abandon winged space vehicles with pressurized cabins and go back to cramped capsules sitting atop onetime disposable rockets.
3. If the concern is safety, then just build unmanned probes and drones and launch them for space exploration.
4. Common sense would have dictated having a replacement launch vehicle before abandoning the one your using.
5. Good luck.

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