Florida Sen. Bill Nelson says he'll fund an additional flight for Atlantis in NASA's 2011 reauthorization bill."I look forward to working with you to make this important mission a reality," he wrote in a letter to President Obama.
Atlantis today landed at Kennedy Space Center to end its last scheduled flight, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station.
Because Atlantis will be prepared to serve as a rescue vehicle for the final shuttle mission, it will have all the hardware needed to fly a mission.
NASA would plan to fly the space station resupply mission next June, and wants an decision from Congress and the administration by next month.
Each month the shuttle program operates in 2011 would cost between $100 million and $200 million a month.
As of now, two more shuttle flights are planned before the program is retired. Discovery and Endeavour are each scheduled to fly once more, in September and November, respectively.
IMAGE: With its drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Atlantis on Wednesday rolled down Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
20 comments:
What a dumb idea. I love the Shuttle program and those who support it, which is exactly why I DON'T want this to happen.
What happens if Atlantis goes up and needs a rescue? We won't have one! We will never be able to live with ourselves and with the consequences. And where will Nelson be if that happens? Will he take full responsibility? Of course not...
They need to make up their minds. You've got experienced engineers and technicians leaving or being laid off and relocating to other parts of the US. Then they say "hey, let's launch another one". These people aren't gonna hang around for uncertainty like this.
Plus, how many ETs or SRB's are left? Haven't those factories already been shut down?
Actually, it's all in the mission planning. Atlantis would fly with a small crew that could be returned to Earth on two Soyuz craft in the unlikely event of a contingency scenario. While awaiting return, they'd remain on ISS. This contingency planning has already been performed as a part of the studies that looked at adding the extra flight.
I think his intentions are to fly the shuttle after the mission since it would be flight ready.
U.S. Senator George LeMieux launched an effort to prohibit NASA from terminating the Constellation Program, which is the follow on space program replacing the space shuttle.
The amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill introduced by LeMieux reiterates federal law prohibiting NASA from using funds in Fiscal Year 2010 to cancel Constellation contracts.
Joining LeMieux in the effort are senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Richard Shelby (R-MS), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Bob Bennett (R-UT).
Does Nelson want it to fly one more time because he's going to get more votes from that action? STOP WASTING OUR MONEY. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY YOU WANT THAT OLD CLUNKER TO FLY AGAIN!
We have enough External Tank parts to fly another mission, if Atlantis flew again we would have one of the other Orbiters ready to fly a rescue mission. Another Atlantis flight could take a modified MPLM up (as the PMM is being prepped for) to add storage space on ISS. There are places to dock it.
Hey, let's just waste some more tax payer dollars clinging on to a obsolete platform and antiquated program. One last mission, for old times sake? What you say? C'mon, we can squeeze some money out to keep some bloated engineers employed..
How about this? No GOVERMENT funded space programs. Let's stop this money wasting carnival and turn it over to the private sector where it belongs.
Nelson is a liar. He already sold out the KSC workers for a ride on Air Force One and a photo op with Obama. When he's up for re-election in 2012, folks that are trying to put food on their family's tables will remember him and "lay off" Bill Nelson.
http://www.rv-103.com/?p=457
Maybe if we keep pushing the congress they just might start feeling even more heat to continue shuttles flying a couple of missions a year until Constellation is operational and Obama's term is over in 2012 and we get a real president and congress that realizes the space program is very important to the security and progress of the USA.
When I arrived at the Cape in 1958 there was so much excitement with all the programs. The impossible was being attempted and done through American and German technology. As the old song goes "Those were the days my friends, we thought they'd never end". All of America and the whole world watched with amazement as we marched ahead with feats only dreamed of in Buck Rogers comic books. Engineers had used the GI Bill from WW ll and Korea to earn their degrees. They now worked hand in hand with Technicians to make the un-dream able possible. It all happened, we mourned our loses but we forged ahead. Those were proud days and years for America. No one could have ever dreamed the end of our Space Program would have ended this way. We have lost our vision not only in our space program but in all of America. It is so hard to believe all this is happening. As it all ends the irony and insult of the first magnitude is the only way Americans can go into space is via a Russian vehicle.
Just continue flying one or two missions a year with 4 person crews. I mean, that silly little Apollo era capsule replacement only carries 4, right? Why throw away perfectly good hardware. It's the same thing as someone driving their old car a little longer, in anticipation of better days ahead, when they can replace it with a new one. Nobody ever mentions how much each mission cost is reduced by flying another one. The Shuttle is already paid for, each additional mission costs less than the one before it. I'm sure the tank factory in Louisiana would be happy to crank back up. Or they could do something really ingenious, move the tank factory to Florida, while they're at it bring the SRB factory here too.
It is said "It takes two people to paint a picture - one to do the painting and another to say when it is done."
I think this applies to NASA. Someone (we who pay them) had to tel NASA "Quit doing repetitive tasks (Shuttle flights to space station) and put those efforts to doing scientific things.
That's a good idea for a mission; another good idea: take off one of the OMS Pods from another shuttle; rig up a frame holding the OMS pod, large fuel system, electronics, etc. and take it to the ISS.
That way, the ISS would have a reliable propulsion system and be able to raise its orbit when needed.
Rick Steele
Sarasota
Quoting Anonymous: :"We have enough External Tank parts to fly another mission, if Atlantis flew again we would have one of the other Orbiters ready to fly a rescue mission"
If Atlantis flies (STS-135), there will be NO spare ET or SRB's to have ready for an emergency flight. I personally feel that we should continue Shuttle until either Constellation or Commercial is ready to take over. This retiring of the Shuttle was yet another attempt by Bush Jr. to try to leave his legacy for Future Generations. I have an idea... when the 10,000 Florida workers, the 6000 JSC workers, and others affected by this poorly thought out idea are out of a job, they should all start camping out at the Bush Ranch...
No prob if they fly it ASAP loaded with whatever makes sense. But to fly it after a SEVEN months hiatus is pure job retaining, burning of funds. THIS is exactly the thinking that causes us to go nowhere.
Gerhard Hauer, Austria
@ 11:23: IF we continue to fly Shuttle with 2missions per year there never will be another program because the STS army is feeding on the funds needed for new stuff. Simple as that.
G Hauer
I'm with Bruce 100%.
It's been a wonderful program, but it needs to end before many people and many dollars cease to exist. The SFOC has been so gifted and actually lucky that the program continued on after Columbia. It is time to move on - it is choking everyone, including new technology. Let it go, let's move on.
NELSON NEEDS TO GET A LIFE! iT'S TIME TO STOP BEATING A DEAD HORSE AND GO ON TO NEW AND BETTER THINGS
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