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Permalink Reply by Steve on August 28, 2011 at 7:16pm

The really sad thing is. We are spending ,adjusted for inflation , the same amount of money annually for NASA as we were when the Moon project was in full swing. But our politicians have managed to slice off bits and pieces for their districts to the point of making the whole effort completely uncoordinated and ineffective as a national program. People  have used the NASA budget to create jobs for all kinds of unrelated projects.  Little advertised fact is that we got stuck with the space shuttle that the Air Force demanded and then abandoned. It was an expensive turkey from the beginning and now we are left with no replacement.  Behind every dollar the Government spends is a contractor justifying his existence.

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Permalink Reply by Astroslav on August 31, 2011 at 1:21pm

That's not a big deal and not quite a shuttle replacement either. It's a Soviet-era conventional Soyuz (from the 1960's) that's been slightly modified. Commercial SpaceX will be ready and available in a few years to take care of both astronaut and supply deliveries to the ISS. 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Aaron Wiitanen on September 12, 2011 at 12:24am

Yes the sPace shuttle program ending is a little sad. But with commercialization of sPace flight it oPens the doors for us civilians to take a ride around the earth relativly inexpensive. I do believe I saw something about orbiting "hotel" rOoms. That would be MY dream come true!

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