Mike
Well observed and commented and I am sorry to say I agree about the doubtful future of space exploration.
I recall once seeing a programme about the Solar System and in it the phrase "Spaceship Earth" was used (maybe coined) as the programme demonstrated the rate at which irreplaceable global resources were being used up and likening the Earth to a spaceship carrying vast but finite resources on a long journey. I was quite young at the time and had never given such matters much thought (being far too pre-occupied in those days with far more urgent matters like girls, beer and motorcycles). But it really brought home to me the fact that the long-term future of the human race is entirely dependent upon reaching out to the stars to ensure continuity of resources and, ultimately to find a new home before the Sun expires. The trouble as I see it is that such exploration requires massive resources (in the intellectual sense as well as evey other) and is probably beyond the capability of any single nation on Earth - even the almighty USA. It needs a truly global pooling of resources and I find it hard to envisage that level of global co-operation, given the ongoing and in many cases worsening levels of political, religious and idealogical conflict around the world. And even if world peace suddenly broke out,would there be sufficient global vision to muster the resources and make the effort? I would like to think so, but .........
Space, The Final Frontier
Re: The End Of An Era
1 in 10 people understands binary. The other one doesn't
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quicksilver-wsr
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Re: The End Of An Era
Yes, Mike - sad indeed. Let's hope Atlantis comes back in one piece and the final chapter can be closed without further heartbreak.
In my capacity as a writer, I was fortunate enough to witness the very first Shuttle launch - involving the Orbiter Columbia, on 12 April 1981 - from the press site at Kennedy Space Center. That was only 3.5 miles away, which is pretty much as close as you can get. Later, I interviewed Bob Crippen, one of the two-man crew who flew that inaugural mission. It was a brave move for NASA to launch a new space vehicle with a crew on board. It's the first and only time they have done that, all previous launchers being tested unmanned first.
I always thought that one day, in doddery old age, I'd visit a museum Stateside to see Columbia on proud display and reflect upon that maiden flight decades earlier. Of course, now that can never happen, as Columbia was lost in action.
The Orbiter Challenger was also lost, alas - and in a way that was far more visible to the public. After every Shuttle mission, apart from the secret military missions, I used to interview two of the astronauts who had just flown and I'd get the story first-hand of how the mission went. I often wonder who I would have interviewed from the seven who sadly perished that day.
The Shuttle astronaut I got to know the best, Bob Overmyer, came very close to being the one whose name was on the bullet. He commanded the mission which came closest to tragedy, whilst flying Challenger, in an event which foreshadowed the accident to come in chilling detail. The evidence of how close the Shuttle had been to disaster was withheld, and when Bob found out, at the official investigation into Challenger's eventual demise, that his mission came so near to ending the way his close friend Dick Scobee's had, he was livid with rage.
Having cheated death that day, Bob resigned from NASA, only to lose his life in a test-flying accident some years later. As I write this in my office at home, I can still "see" him sitting at the other end of this room, bending my ear about all the good things and all the bad things about NASA.
Losses of one type or another cloud my memories of the Shuttle programme, but it really was a gigantic leap forward for space exploration - and, as you imply, it is a pity that the Shuttle cannot be replaced by something equally, or even more, sexy.
Technology has moved forward in leaps and bounds, no question. But, viewed overall, mankind's spirit of adventure has sadly shrunk by inverse proportion. Space needs new visionaries, and I personally hope that the current push toward commercialisation of the space sector creates a new breed of inspirational forward-thinkers.
In my capacity as a writer, I was fortunate enough to witness the very first Shuttle launch - involving the Orbiter Columbia, on 12 April 1981 - from the press site at Kennedy Space Center. That was only 3.5 miles away, which is pretty much as close as you can get. Later, I interviewed Bob Crippen, one of the two-man crew who flew that inaugural mission. It was a brave move for NASA to launch a new space vehicle with a crew on board. It's the first and only time they have done that, all previous launchers being tested unmanned first.
I always thought that one day, in doddery old age, I'd visit a museum Stateside to see Columbia on proud display and reflect upon that maiden flight decades earlier. Of course, now that can never happen, as Columbia was lost in action.
The Orbiter Challenger was also lost, alas - and in a way that was far more visible to the public. After every Shuttle mission, apart from the secret military missions, I used to interview two of the astronauts who had just flown and I'd get the story first-hand of how the mission went. I often wonder who I would have interviewed from the seven who sadly perished that day.
The Shuttle astronaut I got to know the best, Bob Overmyer, came very close to being the one whose name was on the bullet. He commanded the mission which came closest to tragedy, whilst flying Challenger, in an event which foreshadowed the accident to come in chilling detail. The evidence of how close the Shuttle had been to disaster was withheld, and when Bob found out, at the official investigation into Challenger's eventual demise, that his mission came so near to ending the way his close friend Dick Scobee's had, he was livid with rage.
Having cheated death that day, Bob resigned from NASA, only to lose his life in a test-flying accident some years later. As I write this in my office at home, I can still "see" him sitting at the other end of this room, bending my ear about all the good things and all the bad things about NASA.
Losses of one type or another cloud my memories of the Shuttle programme, but it really was a gigantic leap forward for space exploration - and, as you imply, it is a pity that the Shuttle cannot be replaced by something equally, or even more, sexy.
Technology has moved forward in leaps and bounds, no question. But, viewed overall, mankind's spirit of adventure has sadly shrunk by inverse proportion. Space needs new visionaries, and I personally hope that the current push toward commercialisation of the space sector creates a new breed of inspirational forward-thinkers.
Last edited by quicksilver-wsr on Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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quicksilver-wsr
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Re: The End Of An Era
Yes, mate - I know it.Mike Bull wrote:Nigel and I shared some comms today over the Shuttle, in which I said that I still had my first ever Shuttle book- 'Shuttle', by one Nigel Macknight. Small world! Though, just to make Nigel feel old I did buy it with some pocket money at the age of 12...
Age is just a number. In my case, a very big number!
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Renegadenemo
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Re: The End Of An Era
I too was lucky enough to see the first launch. My folks took me to Florida to watch John Young and Bob Crippen blast off like a firework rocket. What you can't see from film footage is the ridiculous speed of the thing. it literally looks like a firework, it goes so fast.
I don't buy this space exploration thing though. Fair enough, fleece a few tourists as they try weightlessness and gaze at the curvature of the Earth, or grow perfect crystals for the pharmaceutical industry in zero-gravity, but buggering about on the moon? What was that all about? And what's on Mars? an even greater expanse of sod-all so far as I can tell and it's even further away! I think we ought to learn to live down here and manage our little planet before we start messing about up there.
I don't buy this space exploration thing though. Fair enough, fleece a few tourists as they try weightlessness and gaze at the curvature of the Earth, or grow perfect crystals for the pharmaceutical industry in zero-gravity, but buggering about on the moon? What was that all about? And what's on Mars? an even greater expanse of sod-all so far as I can tell and it's even further away! I think we ought to learn to live down here and manage our little planet before we start messing about up there.
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
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Renegadenemo
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Re: The End Of An Era
That's just a few cranks and mad scientists on a jolly - it's sort of quaint and interesting. But an entire nation on a fool's errand to upset the Russkies? It's embarrassing...
I'd say it was about daring to try, and then achieving that goal; just like climbing the highest mountain, diving the deepest ocean, running the fastest marathon, driving the fastest car (or the fastest boat!), any of which you could dismiss as ultimately pointless.
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
Re: The End Of An Era
Staggering how it seemed so new, and has now retired. How time flies!
The first TV doco's I worked on were "Red Star In Space" about the Russian space programme, and it's companion, about the programme in the USA. I met some huge names in the field, and was taken aback by the honesty. Al Shepperd was fantastic to work with, but could be very critical of NASA. His response to , "how did it feel to be the first American in space" was always greeted with, "great, sitting on top of something built by the lowest bidder", but you could tell he meant it, and as for "the fire" as it was always refered to, it was obvious there was an underlying problem within NASA, mirrored I have to say in Russia (Lenov was our liason there, and similarly entertaining!!). Having seen Boran close up (complete with the odd fitting made of wood!!), the American Shuttle programme was as much a success as NASA allowed it to be, they certainly coud do some odd things within NASA. I'm still in touch with Scott Grissom, and although I feel he's more than a little blinkered, he does tell some very very grim stories. Lets hope there is more to come, better thought out, properly researched and who knows, a collaboration of nations?
The first TV doco's I worked on were "Red Star In Space" about the Russian space programme, and it's companion, about the programme in the USA. I met some huge names in the field, and was taken aback by the honesty. Al Shepperd was fantastic to work with, but could be very critical of NASA. His response to , "how did it feel to be the first American in space" was always greeted with, "great, sitting on top of something built by the lowest bidder", but you could tell he meant it, and as for "the fire" as it was always refered to, it was obvious there was an underlying problem within NASA, mirrored I have to say in Russia (Lenov was our liason there, and similarly entertaining!!). Having seen Boran close up (complete with the odd fitting made of wood!!), the American Shuttle programme was as much a success as NASA allowed it to be, they certainly coud do some odd things within NASA. I'm still in touch with Scott Grissom, and although I feel he's more than a little blinkered, he does tell some very very grim stories. Lets hope there is more to come, better thought out, properly researched and who knows, a collaboration of nations?
Steve Holter, UK and France, and sometimes reality....................
Re: The End Of An Era
Funnily enough I seen the shuttle in the air-above my house in Scotland!-Enterprise was doing a flypast on top of the NASA 747 coming home from the Paris airshow and was scheduled to fly over Keystone Valves factory in East Kilbride as a thankyou for their work producing parts for it-(there you go-the shuttles DID have British bits in them-glass as well made in Dow Corning in England)-I heard the roar outside my house and looked up-and 300 feet up there she was-long time ago now and Enterprise wasn't really a mission shuttle as such but what a sight to remember 
"I hate two faced people-don't know which face to punch first!"
Re: The End Of An Era
Shuttle mounting point on 747 carrier-who says yanks don't have a sense of humour? 
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"I hate two faced people-don't know which face to punch first!"
Re: The End Of An Era
klingon wrote:Shuttle mounting point on 747 carrier-who says yanks don't have a sense of humour?
Hard to know which is funniest... The mount itself, or the "Note"................
Just cos my username is Thunderer, doesn't necessarily mean I SHOUT !!
"A vehicle is designed to be used, restored or otherwise" A personal response on the question "you have just restored it, why use it?"
"A vehicle is designed to be used, restored or otherwise" A personal response on the question "you have just restored it, why use it?"
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Renegadenemo
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Re: The End Of An Era
I don't really think that space exploration is completely pointless - I just enjoy winding Mike up
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.