Orbiter retirement

[ChrisGebhardt]

Ready-for-transport dates are currently February 2012 (OV-103), June 2012 (OV-105), and October 2012 (OV-104).

That sucks... such dates will make a great photo op (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24618.0) impossible, I'm sure.

I wonder why Atlantis needs so much longer between it's final flight and ready date, compared to Discovery?

Id think also because they new building still needs to be built and that will still take quite a while since they havent even announced an exact spot or broken ground you know?

That will affect when the orbiters are actually shipped, but the ready-for-transport dates do not account for it.

Also, it will take that long to get Atlantis ready-to-ferry because there are only two OPFs for three orbiters. So after a month of post-flight deservicing, she will give up her OPF to Endeavour and then be stored in the VAB until Discovery is done with T&R processing.

[brettreds2k]

Still breaks my heart to see these 3 ladies getting taken out of service in their prime. They dont deserve to be sitting on the ground, they are happiest in flight and getting prepped for flights. Reminds me of that scene in Space Cowboys where Tommy Lee Jones was saying that about the SR-71

[subisnack]

Local news however as written by AP:
http://www.newstalkradiowhio.com/news/news/local/nasa-scoring-error-revealed-selecting-new-shuttle-/nDQj3/


NASA: Scoring error revealed in selecting new shuttle homes.
NASA now admits that it made a scoring error for the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The agency says the museum should have tied as a winning city for one of the retired space shuttles.

But NASA also says that it acted properly when selecting the locations.

The shuttles are going to Washington, Los Angeles, Cape Canaveral, and New York.

Dayton and Houston believed political influence played a part in the final decision, and asked for an investigation.

Inspector General Paul Martin reports there were no outside influences in the decision, and none from the White House.  The report says the decision was based on attendance, population, funding and the facility.

NASA Chief Charles Bolden says that the cities he selected better fit NASA's science education goals.
InfoSource: Associated Press

[Beemer]

New member/lurker here.

I think it is sad beyond words that these magnificent space machines have had their wings clipped as it were.

I remember the 6 years between Apollo/Soyuz and the launch of Columbia- that time felt like an eternity after growing up watching 2-3 launches every year since the age of 5.

And it looks like it will be even longer than that before America returns to human space flight.

 

[Jim]

And it looks like it will be even longer than that before America returns to human space flight.

 

No, it will be shorter.  America is not just NASA.

[DaveJSC]

And it looks like it will be even longer than that before America returns to human space flight.

 

No, it will be shorter.  America is not just NASA.

He's on the orbiter retirement thread, and it is a completely inaccurate statement to say it "will be shorter" than it would have been in the context of this thread. A reversal of the orbiter's retirement, even this year, 18 months. Which other vehicle will be flying crew in 18 months time?

It doesn't mean it would have been the right decision, especially long term, but when dealing with facts of the question, an honest answer is required.

[Jim]

And it looks like it will be even longer than that before America returns to human space flight.

 

No, it will be shorter.  America is not just NASA.

He's on the orbiter retirement thread, and it is a completely inaccurate statement to say it "will be shorter" than it would have been in the context of this thread. A reversal of the orbiter's retirement, even this year, 18 months. Which other vehicle will be flying crew in 18 months time?

He was referring to the Apollo to shuttle gap of 6 years in his post.

[Beemer]

FYI I'm a she

I am not well versed on the commercial spaceflight ventures such as SpaceX so I have no idea of how close or far away they are from putting humans into space.

In that respect I'm probably like many other Americans. For us America in space means NASA, rightly or wrongly.