Breaking news-Space Shuttle Columbia lost over Texas

[jiji]

This is just beyond belief. I was huge on space travel from the time I was a tiny kid (I was born in 1980 as well), and ever since then the space shuttles (most notably the first, Columbia) have been for me the symbol of all of NASA and everything the US strives for with space travel. It's almost too much to think that Columbia was lost. I feel the same way today as I did on September 11, 2001...this kind of thing just isn't supposed to happen.

RIP, Columbia crew.

[Tracer]

I ahte to say so, but I felt much more gravity behind Challanger, but this is no more or less terrible, and this one I actually saw in the sky.

[slimemonster]

This is definitely an incredible tragedy, I'm not saying anything otherwise.

I still think funding for NASA is bullshit for the most part. If we can't do a good job with our own planet, let alone country, WTF are we doing trying to send people into space? And no, we're not going to be sending the masses of the U.S. out into space anything close to any time soon, or in the distant future.

[Tracer]

The science conducted there is incredibly important. You don't see it, so you don't appreciate it :/

Lots of people don't need to go into space. That's entirely besides the point.

[slimemonster]

oh ok man.


Seriously though, what is some of the incredibly important work that NASA is responsible for? Who is it helping?

[Jeremy]

Any advancement in science is important because, no matter how small it may seem now, it might just become the greatest thing since sliced bread.

[slimemonster]

Originally posted by Jeremy
Any advancement in science is important because, no matter how small it may seem now, it might just become the greatest thing since sliced bread.

No.

hahahaha

I probably should explain myself a little bit more. Sure, you are right Jeremy, but is all the money we spend on NASA (instead of public schools, healthcare, transportation etc.) worth it?

[Tracer]

Most all improvements in the last 40 years in rocketry, telemitry and material science can be credited entirely to the space program. JPL pioneered the worlds smallest nuclear battery which provides Voyager 2 with energy to this day as it still travels past Pluto into the heliopause.

Meteorology has been drastically improved increaseing responce and reaction time to severe weather. Phamaceuticals have long been advance by testing in low gravity. That is the most frequent use of all. Medical sciences are dependant on research in space. It affects most everyone.

[MVS]

Well, eventually, the Human Race is going to have to colonize space and branch out if it's to surivive, due to simple population-resource limits.

That's a ways off, but it's worth it to do this now.

[Tracer]

I think, MVS, that such a senerio is too far down the road, it's like the ancient Romans worrying about the crime rate in 1980's Detroit.

I think research in space is valuable to nearly every feild. ESPECIALLY for engineering which will continue to be important to this day. I think CHEAPER to use new shuttles (by being more reuseable) are in order and waiting 15 year the way the government wants is too long to throw billions of dollars away on the current line of shuttles. They were great, but 1970's engineering is not efficent.

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