NASA Taking Chances on Space Station

[meisje]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA (news - web sites) is taking bigger chances and more of them — even bending its own safety rules — to keep the international space station running with a two-man crew and no shuttle visits.

On Thursday night, both astronauts will take a riskier than usual spacewalk, wearing an odd mishmash of Russian and U.S. gear, cut off at times from communications, and struggling with tools in extra-stiff gloves never intended for the repairs they will make.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=6&u=/ap/20040623/ap_on_sc/risky_spacewalk_1

Were going to Mars, Yeah Right!!

[The Animator]

1. I can ony image in a not too distant future...

The great international Space Station being held together with popcicle sticks and Duct tape. The systems communications console rewired to run through an old cassete/radio Walkman. Orbit corrections are acheived by an astronaut getting outside and pushing, of couse when additional thrust is needed, lightin a fart on fire always helps. The cosmonaut onboard has resorted to the tried and true repair method of beating the holy hell out of something until it works again, while secretly wishing he was back aboard the peice of shit MIR, decaying orbit or not.

[Rex]

2. We only spend billions if it means money for defense contractors.

NASA gets hand-me-downs.

[Massacure]

3. The station is not cannot be effectively maintained by two crew members.

They won't be getting a third crew member and replacement parts until the shuttle is back though.

[daleo]

4. I doubt Bush really wants the ISS

He probably thinks international cooperation is for wimps. He would just as soon starve the thing until everyone gives up, anyway.

On edit - Bush/PNAC don't believe in peaceful uses of space, as they don't believe peace is useful.