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#620 by jkumpire on 21 Jul, 2011 13:55
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Okay I'm done being sad!
Go MPCV (Orion)!
Godspeed NASA, Space X, Boeing, Sierra Nevada, Bigelow, Virgin Galactic, & all the others!
Go for the Moon (1st), asteroids (2nd), & then on to Mars!
Well said! Something will fly again! Even if it is "only" a CST-100 on an Atlas V, we will cheer it on when it does (and, much as it hurts to say it, a several-year gap will make it seem more incredible...)
In the meantime, all true spaceflight fans can still cheer on Soyuz (with our boys and girls on board, who'd have thought that 20 years ago), and even Shenzhou...
Finally, a great thanks to all of NASA for 30 years of wonderful images (too young to remember Apollo) and to all of you people here for your great work.
I, too, am sad today and I will miss Shuttle dearly. But the future will still come, and something good will still happen somewhere down the road. I'm sure of it.
Sadly,
I believe what we saw today is the end of American HSF, except for a few rides on Russian craft for a few more years.
The current President has destoyed the future of American HSF IMO, and he is well on the way to destroying the economy that made it possible to do HSF. To believe that private interests can pick up the slack long-term is something I don't believe will happen.
I woke up as little kid to MR-3, MA-6, GT-3, SA-4, and on and on. I grieve that my children and grandchildren never will have a similar experience. -
#621 by psloss on 21 Jul, 2011 14:02
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I think I saw you in the replay...over by the Surgeon console at one point?Michael Coats, Phil Engelauf, Cathy Koerner, Michael Lopez-Alegria, several other Flight Directors...
Also saw Michael Grabois in there, so assume trainers are in there, too.
Yeah, we were upstairs in the sim control area and went down to join them.
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#622 by racshot65 on 21 Jul, 2011 14:04
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I've got
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#623 by psloss on 21 Jul, 2011 14:05
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I've got
Thanks -- this might be interesting...guess we'll find out soon enough.
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#624 by MadameConcorde on 21 Jul, 2011 14:13
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I cannot watch the replays. It hurts too much.
Game over.
26 November 2003. G-BOAF lands at Filton. Final ferry flight of a Concorde. No replacement.
21 July 2011. Atlantis lands at KSC. End of Space Shuttle flights. No replacement.
The past was more futuristic than the future.
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#625 by janmb on 21 Jul, 2011 14:27
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Going to get a nap, but will be back to post some thank yous to the team and the readership - along with some notes on the site's forward plan - which are actually positive.
The pressers will be recorded after all.
No idea in which better place to post this, so taking this opportunity to thank Chris and all the great contributors on this site. It makes all the difference in the world when it comes to following spaceflight, manned and otherwise.
With Atlantis coasting to her last wheelstop I have a hard time seeing my own interest in space staying quite the same, but if anything will keep the interest up, it's this site.
Thanks
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#626 by DaveS on 21 Jul, 2011 14:27
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Atlantis is now being towed off the runway to OPF-2. First motion was at 10:24am EDT.
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#627 by HarryM on 21 Jul, 2011 14:28
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Great landing, great mission, great program. Hard to believe it's the last one.
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#628 by aquanaut99 on 21 Jul, 2011 14:30
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Sadly,
I believe what we saw today is the end of American HSF, except for a few rides on Russian craft for a few more years.
The current President has destoyed the future of American HSF IMO, and he is well on the way to destroying the economy that made it possible to do HSF. To believe that private interests can pick up the slack long-term is something I don't believe will happen.
I woke up as little kid to MR-3, MA-6, GT-3, SA-4, and on and on. I grieve that my children and grandchildren never will have a similar experience.
Well, you are entitled to that belief. I don't share it, but maybe you are right. Time will tell.
If you are right, then I guess I will just cheer on Russia and especially China (and perhaps soon also India) instead. One of the advantages of their system of govt is that they don't do an about-face on space policy every 2 to 4 years. Oh, and robotic space exploration still has a future, even if it is being cut back. And ESA is strong at that (though Europe is in trouble, too, but the prime contributors are Germany and France, which are better off) -
#629 by MS6 on 21 Jul, 2011 14:33
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Bob Cabana is a nice guy, but from his comments in the press conference it seems like he's already enjoyed too much kool-aid.
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#630 by psloss on 21 Jul, 2011 14:35
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Saw a shot on the rail of the VAB roof (OTV 078)...several photographers there for the tow back.
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#631 by psloss on 21 Jul, 2011 14:38
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#632 by psloss on 21 Jul, 2011 14:44
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#633 by racshot65 on 21 Jul, 2011 14:46
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Bill G
Thanks to the SSP for a tremendous effort today and throughout the program
I can’t say enough about the team and how great a job they’ve done
One of the cleaner vehicles I’ve seen
Everything worked flawlessly
Thank you to the nation for allowing us to have these 30 years to use the vehicle
Next steps are the ISS, commercial providers
Then we need to get on with exploration plans
We need good idea for beyond LEO
Huge improvement comes from change, this team can accomplish anything there asked to do
Bob Cabana
It’s great to have Atlantis home after a successful mission
Can’t say enough good things about the processing team at KSC
Our #1 goal has been to safely finish the SSP and they’ve done that
I have extreme pride in each and everyone
Its time to move on and focus on the future
We can’t afford to fly shuttle and work on new programs
Were going to take the space shuttle team and focus on enabling the future
We will enable commercial space and work on a HLV that allows us to explore beyond earth
MPCV first test hardware arrives at the cape later this year
Mike Moses
It’s been a heck of a day and program
Unbelievably proud to be here representing the SSP
Vehicle performed flawlessly
Teams at JSC are world class
MSFC put together at set of awesome hardware to get us to orbit
The shuttle program has racked up a lot of history
1300 days in orbit – 43 months
Hearing the sonic booms as Atlantis came home really drove home how much of a great program this has been
Mike Leinbach
Thanks to the workforce at KSC, I’ve worked here 27 years and you get to know and love all the folks
Folks out on the runway did there job as they always do
SSP workers have dedicated there lives, hearts and souls to the program
Thanks to the press for the years of service
Questions
Q: Most emotional point for you Mike L?
A: Several, de orbit burn, out on the runway I found myself taking in the beauty of the vehicle, taking pictures of the orbiter and the workers. It was a family event out there today. I saw men and women crying tears of joy today and that was human emotions coming out on the runway.
Q: When will astronauts lift off from KSC again?
A: Lots of work to do on commercial crew. Were in the middle of CCDEV. May have a commercial flight with humans in the 2016 / 17 time frame.
Q: SpaceX status?
A: We want to combine 2/3 but we haven’t given approval yet. Need to do some more work. Want to do Monty Carlo runs on there software systems. Capsules and software are being designed to combine COTS 2/3. May know in August / Sept. Need more data runs.
Jim Comment: If you mess with the Mikes, Bob were going to have to come find you (joking)
Q: HLV announcement?
A: Working through budget estimates to show with have a credible recommendation. Maybe in August timeframe this will be complete then we can formally talk about HLV.
Q: Have the emotions hit you now the works done?
A: A big wave of emotion hit me after launch, and again during different parts of the mission. (Mike M)
Q: Do you think NASA could have been more assertive with congress when negotiating the budget?
A: We slipped 3 years with the first Shuttle flight. And there was a 6 year gap between ASTP and shuttle. We have 4 vehicles competing to fly Americans into space. Some are further along than others getting into CDR. We’ve defined Orion and it’s far along in testing. We need to follow through on our plan and get them flying.
Q: Can you characterise where LOX RP1 engine development falls?
A: It’s premature for me to talk about specifics. Are approach tries to leverage off what we have today. Were not ruling out LOX RP and solids have potential. We want to use what we have if it makes sense and have a growth path to go forward.
Q: Will the shuttle be appreciated for what it did or it will become the unsung work horse in getting us to the next step?
A: I don’t see how the shuttle can not help but be recognised for the outstanding vehicle it is. Look at the EVAs we did out of shuttle. We’ve learned how to work in LEO, we have lots more to learn about deep space and long duration flights. The shuttle was worth the cost from an evolutionary perspective of the space program. The shuttle will always be looked at as the next logical step after Apollo.
Q: What advice would you have liked 20 years ago to prepare for the changes today?
A: There are 4 phases of change, denial, anger, exploration, and acceptance. We’ve all been through that in the SSP. We knew 4-5 years ago the end was coming, the workforce has handled it well due to the time we had. I head nothing but pride out on the runway.
Q: Did you feel like people might be going through acceptance today?
A: Certainly those phases of change are coming into play today. This is a machine that we need to retire, its not as traumatic as people think it is. We’ve all been through more traumatic things. It’s the loss of something that is important to us. But it’s not like the loss of a family matter. It’s important but not the end of the world. The sun will rise tomorrow.
Q: What program in NASA excites you?
A: We have 3 awesome science missions coming up. Juno, GRAIL, MSL. Were sending something the size of a small car to Mars. The ISS. We need to show everyday folks the potential of the ISS and how it’s as exciting as a launch.
Q: Would you argue if I wrote that the new vehicle will have SSME’s, boosters, ET and a J2X?
A: Yes it will have those pieces but not in the way you describe
Q: Share what it meant to sign the shuttle left on the ISS?
A: I was completely honoured and when I signed it I told John Shannon I was signing on behalf of the launch and processing teams at KSC. (Mike L)
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#634 by psloss on 21 Jul, 2011 14:46
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This should be up on NASA TV now that the post landing news conference is over.
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#635 by Ronsmytheiii on 21 Jul, 2011 14:47
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This should be up on NASA TV now that the post landing news conference is over.
indeed it is
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#636 by seawolfe on 21 Jul, 2011 14:47
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They have pictures of the wheel stop paint on the runway over at the Kennedy Media Gallery. (I can't copy them here at work, too many restrictions)
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=226
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#637 by Lee Jay on 21 Jul, 2011 14:50
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I believe what we saw today is the end of American HSF, except for a few rides on Russian craft for a few more years.
The current President has destoyed the future of American HSF IMO, and he is well on the way to destroying the economy that made it possible to do HSF. To believe that private interests can pick up the slack long-term is something I don't believe will happen.
This President was a State Senator when the now-cancelled Constellation was initiated and when the "Goldilocks Economy" become the "Great Recession". -
#638 by vanoord on 21 Jul, 2011 14:53
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Q: Would you argue if I wrote that the new vehicle will have SSME’s, boosters, ET and a J2X?
A: Yes it will have those pieces but not in the way you describe
An interesting question, but it might have been more interesting if it had been phrased:Quote"Given that the new vehicle will have SSMEs, boosters, ET and a J2X - which are all existing technologies - why is that vehicle not already in service so as to remove the gap in NASA's launch capabilities?"
That's a question which has a very direct relevance to all the workers who have either an uncertain future; or no future at all in a NASA space programme.
The answer, of course, is politics - but the question of why there are such delays seems to be an elephant in the room that even journalists seems to shy away from mentioning.
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#639 by JonC on 21 Jul, 2011 14:53
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Good job, crew of Atlantis and all those involved with her mission.
Thank you, President Obama, for shutting down the shuttle before a replacement was flying and sending millions to Russia while dumping thousands of Americans on the unemployment rolls. Florida will remember this in the next election. You wanted to kill Constellation, you made that clear in the campaign...now we are drifting in our long term exploration missions and goals. Our leadership in space has been downgraded to....maybe we'll finish a heavy lift rocket and maybe get to an asteroid or Mars someday, sometime. No plan and no real direction.
It's sad to see the shuttle go and it had to happen. But, it's really awful that the shuttle is going away and we're not moving forward. We've canned the shuttle for an early 1960s space exploration program, but without a clear cut mission and plan.
