[Eishtmo]

You people take stuff too seriously sometimes.  Then it explodes and I don't get a chance to explain myself.  Well here it is:

I consider the loss of the Space Shuttle to be an infinitely greater tragedy than the fall of the World Trade Center.  9/11 was about fear, hatred, greed, arrogance and ignorance, all the horrible things that make up human beings.  The loss of innocence, something we never had to begin with but finally felt we lost, was terrible and it should never happen again.

However, Colombia's loss is the loss of hope.  Our dreams of the future and where we as a people can go broke up and scattered itself across Texas yesterday morning.  The loss of hope is a greater loss than losing innocence.  We can come back from losing innocence as a better, perhaps wiser people.  But there's no coming back from a loss of hope.  So when I said this was something important in comparision to 9/11, I meant it in this fashion.

Oh, and daveb, I am an American.  I live near St. Louis, just a few hundred miles away from you.

[Ulundel]

Originally posted by Eishtmo
Oh, and daveb, I am an American.  I live near St. Louis, just a few hundred miles away from you.

And there is a very simple reason why many people here ***** America - because 50 % of the people you can see in the streets are overweight and eat junk food every day, it's sometimes hard to breathe in the big cities, most of the 'common' americans are ignorant or just plain idiots and the US has the most idiotic president ever seen...what more do you want?

[StratComm]

Stop that.  We've been there and done that, and I think everyone had their chance to vent.  That thread was locked because people went on spamming for or against America rather than focusing on the original topic.  Leave this one alone, and don't turn it into a flame war.

[Ashrak]

Originally posted by Ten of Twelve


And there is a very simple reason why many people here ***** America - because 50 % of the people you can see in the streets are overweight and eat junk food every day, it's sometimes hard to breathe in the big cities, most of the 'common' americans are ignorant or just plain idiots and the US has the most idiotic president ever seen...what more do you want?

very well saied my dear friend

[phreak]

have you even been to america? then shut it.

[Ulundel]

Originally posted by PhReAk
have you even been to america? then shut it.

Yes, and I've seen the horror. it's fun for three days. Then I can think of one thing: I wanna outta here

[Fineus]

Eishtmo has voiced his opinion, the other thread was locked for a reason.

Stop it please.

[Shrike]

For future note, this is not a forum for bashing other people's nations.  It will not be tolerated.

On that note, I am reopening this thread with the understanding that the original topic will be continued.

[Dan1]

The worst thing ever will be if the US cuts back even more on funding for NASA.  NASA has brought some of the best things ever.  The promise of a new future and exploring new places is the best hope i can think of.  Hopefully more funding will be put INTO the program instead of taken out.  Hope is always there i think.

[Stryke 9]

Seeing as Columbia belonged in a museum instead of the launchpad, and that no doubt contributed to things, that'd be a good idea.

Eish, I think you're getting overly worked up about this. People on forums in general tend to overreact at the time, and then promptly forget about whatever it was.

[Fetty]

well first consideration allot of the space shuttle technology dates back to the 1960's. NASA's policy is/was use proven to be reliable parts . Of course they updated the shuttle systems but allot is still from that time.
Columbia had an complete "retrofitting"(well more or less) recently. So the shuttle should have been in a good condition....

[Anaz]

Originally posted by Dan1
The worst thing ever will be if the US cuts back even more on funding for NASA.  NASA has brought some of the best things ever.  The promise of a new future and exploring new places is the best hope i can think of.  Hopefully more funding will be put INTO the program instead of taken out.  Hope is always there i think.

The problem with putting money in to nasa, is that your average joe just doesn't care. Now, that being said, I do care. During the "Space Race", we wanted funding for NASA to beat the russians. It was a matter of national pride. Now, there just isn't an incentive to put any money in to it. Your average joe cares a whole lot more about things like interest rates (hell, sometimes not even that). The future of space exploration is going to be based in private industry, but private industry doesn't really give a **** until a way can be found to do something in space more cost effectively/better than on earth. If it was cheaper to have people commute to space to do something than to do it on earth, then you would bet there would be a helluva lot of money flowing in to the industry. Say for example, if IBM found out that it could manufacture a good majority of their products in space for a greater gain then they would experience funding the project, then there would be an IBM factory in orbit that you could see go over your house every now and then. Unfortunately, the only program to see if there is anything that you can do better in space is an underfunded government program that got left behind after they "beat" the russians. It is kind of ironic that the IRS uses in a day almost the entire yearly budget of NASA...

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by  
well first consideration allot of the space shuttle technology dates back to the 1960's. NASA's policy is/was use proven to be reliable parts . Of course they updated the shuttle systems but allot is still from that time.
Columbia had an complete "retrofitting"(well more or less) recently. So the shuttle should have been in a good condition....

All the old parts in the likes of Columbia are - generally speaking - probably no longer manufactured.  In other words, the only spares are dusty relics left unsold in a hanger somewhere and quite possibly already suffereing from wear & tear.

NASA can't afford to keep a 'modern' shuttle, unfortunately.  the budget is far too low for an agency of such global importance.  It's just that people compare it (IMO) to the Russian agency, which is an utter shambles in comparison to, well, anything.

[Solatar]

Originally posted by Dan1
 NASA has brought some of the best things ever.  

Not to mention velcro...

[Falcon X]

The space program will take off when normal people get into it.  By this I mean entrepeuners doing it.  There's a competition right now for a reusable space craft, not from NASA but from an aircraft designer.

People say it's too expensive for us to do this, but everything the government does is expensive.  Trust me, when the people start getting in this and it will happen soon, the program will take off.

If you doubt me, just think how quickly tech is advancing.  **** they're expecting mass drivers on tanks soon.  The future is coming and or here.

And just one more note, space is dangerous.  Any exploring has its risks... the families realize that and have said they want the program to continue.  If we don't continue our venture into space, then their lives are for not.

[Falcon X]

Originally posted by Hades


Not to mention velcro...

Tang anyone?

Not to mention it proved our ingenuity.  I mean think about the Saturn V.  That's raw power.  Also Apollo 13 was a massive test and we showed how good we can be at coping with the impossible.

[LtNarol]

Apollo 13 was somewhat different though, had the explosion cracked the heat shield, the craft and all 3 astronauts would have been doomed upon reentry.

On the comment about the Russian space program, they're not operating on the same scale as NASA; NASA is constantly  launching in order to conduct experiments and put **** in orbit and boost the ISS.  The space shuttle can do that kinda thing; in fact, it was designed to do that kinda thing.  The Soyuz (forgive me if I get the name wrong) can only send up a tenth of what the shuttle can; it wasn't designed to perform the same role.

[Solatar]

Originally posted by Falcon X

And just one more note, space is dangerous.  Any exploring has its risks... the families realize that and have said they want the program to continue.  If we don't continue our venture into space, then their lives are for not.

The nephews of one of the astronauts go to my school, and I know they want NASA to continue, they both understand their aunt was taking a risk.