This WAS Our Parent’s Space Race
by dwilson on Apr.20, 2009, under rants
Obama Plans To End Shuttle Flights In 2010 – msnbc.com.
The purpose of NASA is to bring about new technology and inspire the next generation of engineers. I am an engineer, and in my lifetime I can’t say I have ever been inspired by anything NASA has done. I have only known the Space Shuttle Program, which:
- Started before I was born. Seeing it continue missions today, I think that something that old is not a testament to what cutting edge technology can accomplish.
- Disintegrated during takeoff in 1986. I watched this live in elementary school, with a local news station covering us watching it since it was the first time a teacher was sent to space. At age 5, we were a little confused as to what we were watching.
- Disintegrated during re-entry in 2003. The most shocking part of this for me at the time, was how they had not perfected the Shuttle after nearly 25 years.
NASA’s future plans include returning to the moon by 2020ish. This is supposed to inspire young people to become engineers? Really? I already have a great recruiting message for NASA:
Become an engineer for NASA, and you could have the chance to accomplish a feat so technologically amazing, it was only accomplished 6 times starting back in 1969.
There is also the Orion Project. This will supposedly get us to Mars, but Danstradamus tells me it won’t happen in my lifetime. Even if it does, movies I’ve seen tell me it is not a good idea.
