Space Shuttle Atlantis Mission #135, the final mission. Goodbye Space Shuttle.

[Scrapheap]

Well, an era has come to an end. 

Sad to see it go.

You can follow it from the Official Site

[TA]

It was good while it lasted, salud.

I wonder what the next step in space travel will be.

[Pyraxis]

Commercialism.

["couldbecousin"]

 The next step will be do-it-yourself space travel!  *gets in the catapult*   

[odeon]

I think it's very sad.

[Parts]

I think it's very sad.

Me too. 

I hope the commercial companies kick it into high gear. 

[odeon]

I think it's very sad.

Me too. 

I hope the commercial companies kick it into high gear. 

Yeah. Does anyone even know what the next step will be? Who will send the next American to space, and when?

[Parts]

I think it's very sad.

Me too. 

I hope the commercial companies kick it into high gear. 

Yeah. Does anyone even know what the next step will be? Who will send the next American to space, and when?

Don't think anyone is even close to sending anyone into orbit.  Unless there is some black program that can.

[odeon]

All my life, the US was THE nation to send up people into orbit. Even when nobody was on their way, there was always a plan. The shuttle program was delayed several times but everyone knew it would happen--everyone took it for granted--and when Challenger exploded, there was a plan.

But now? Richard Branson can send tourists to the edge of space and the US can buy missions from Russia, but it's like they stole our future. For the first time, a Star Trek future just doesn't seem likely.

[Parts]

I find it disturbing that they ended it without any sort of plan to replace int any time soon. 

[odeon]

Yes, that is what bothers me the most about it. I don't blame them for scrapping the shuttle, though. It has a one in 85 chance of catastrophic failure that the engineers could not do much about.

It's an extremely cool spacecraft but it should be possible to do better now.

[Scrapheap]

Yeah. Does anyone even know what the next step will be? Who will send the next American to space, and when?

It will most likely be the Russians, then the Chinese. They have tons of money now, and the ambition to take the lead in space travel. They're even talking about going to the moon.

[Scrapheap]

I think it's very sad.

Me too. 

I hope the commercial companies kick it into high gear. 

Yeah. Does anyone even know what the next step will be? Who will send the next American to space, and when?

Don't think anyone is even close to sending anyone into orbit.  Unless there is some black program that can.

I thought the Russians could still send people into orbit. Someone has to, to keep the International Space Station going.

[Parts]

I feel there will be some sort of crisis and the US will have to get back into the business of launching people and then it will be a game of catch up and we will end up spending twice as much as we would have if we had not given it up.  

[Scrapheap]

All my life, the US was THE nation to send up people into orbit. Even when nobody was on their way, there was always a plan. The shuttle program was delayed several times but everyone knew it would happen--everyone took it for granted--and when Challenger exploded, there was a plan.

But now? Richard Branson can send tourists to the edge of space and the US can buy missions from Russia, but it's like they stole our future. For the first time, a Star Trek future just doesn't seem likely.

That's back when the US still had money and wasn't too deep in debt.