Do you think they are telling the truth about the space shuttle ?

[kentuck]

Will they gamble and bring it back like the last time..and see it end in disaster and tragedy? Or is it really not damaged at all? If it is damaged, will they send another shuttle up to rescue them? Have you noticed how much our space program has declined since this Administration began? They were even discussing just letting the Hubble disintegrate - after all the miraculous photos and information we have received from that mission...Remember?

[thinkingwoman]

1. If it wasn't damaged

there wouldn't be any discussions at all, and certainly not in the press.

Bet your ass it's damaged.

But to answer your question more directly...NASA lies. Always has. Probably always will.

Would they gamble with astronauts lives? Uh, yes they would. They have before, with three disasterous results.

Same shit, different crew.


Edited to change "we" into "with" so sentence makes some sort of sense. sigh.

[leftofthedial]

7. it makes a nice distraction from the scandals

and the anti-war sentiment

I'd give even money that the "damage" is just PR to provide a propaganda script and a distraction from reality.

[thinkingwoman]

13. I wouldn't

sorry, but NASA screws things up all by themselves...not for anybody else.

Knowing how NASA operates and how to read between the lines of what they do say, I can assure you that something is wrong. If that shuttle comes down intact it will be a miracle.

This isn't shark week, or the MJ trial. This is a crew's life really on the line. Again.

[leftofthedial]

19. shuttle missions are military missions

period

they'll do the same crap that the DOD will do.

and you're right, NASA can screw up all on their own.

Your'e also right that the crew's lives are on the line. On the line just like the crew of poor teenagers with insufficient body armor crammed into a Hummer with no armor in Tikrit. The military cares differently between the two only because of the much greater PR value of the shuttle crew.

[KeireG]

2. Excellent question

I have wondered the same thing over and over in the past few days. I have a very bad feeling, and there have got to be tensions and uneasy feelings at NASA about the impending reentry. I hope everything works out, but I believe NASA will risk death and tragedy to avoid another PR disaster by announcing that the shuttle is not fit for reentry.

[oneighty]

3. We got a war on

Space is waste of money unless it is to be used for orbiting weapons of mass destruction by the U.S. of A only.

I understand the crew could transfer to the International Space Station and be brought home by the Russians? No?

Raygun rushed a flight. Look what hapopened there. With politics and the desire to save face anything could happen.


180

[Benhurst]

4. Life is cheap in BushAmerica. They'll gamble. NT

[XemaSab]

5. It's a long history of cheap, cheap funding

the newest shuttle was launched in 1991.

Cars that old are considered clunkers.

And if someone gave you 200 a year to mantain your 1991 car, where would you be?

[Catt03]

14. excellent point

Did they ever solve the Columbia problem with the heat shields?

Guess not. I read that the shields are a problem that will never be solved...just need a new design. Why would they let the astonauts go up in something that may disengrate again?

Personally, I think NASA was pushed to take the risk.

I hope they all come home safe.

[Mr.Green93]

6. The truth that it is about

to become a billion dollar light show upon re-entry?

[kentuck]

8. Maybe they will ask for a couple of volunteers to bring it back...

and the others will stay on the Starship Enterprise..?

[Eloriel]

9. The news wasn't particularly good tonight, either

I really had had a feeling they were being a little TOO optimistic about it prior to this. Mentioned a small piece of tile damaged on the bottom front, which could cause super-hot air on re-entry to flow partially down the underside on re-entry.

The segment also covered the fact that there are a bunch of recriminatory discussions going on right now, and surprisingly (I was astonished), they even showed a clip of one of the astronauts himself questioning the decision (to not re-design this part of the space shuttle, I think it was) -- whether that decision was made for budgetary reasons. It was VERY poignant to me.

[thinkingwoman]

16. This is so very sad

They (the crew) know they're in trouble...and they are at the mercy of NASA, who will most likely decide to bring it on in rather than bail with Russia's help.

It's just so sad. Because it is so completely unnecessary.

[fortyfeetunder]

10. A clue to how big a gamble

Here is speculation: if NASA suddenly decides not to bring all seven crew back on the return flight from ISS, then you know something is terribly wrong.

[volitionx]

11. It's damaged...

I heard that the Russians offered to send up one of their shuttles to rescue the American crew at the space station if needed.

I bet that NASA/Bush will have the shuttle come back down more-or-less on schedule, even if the lives of the crew are seriously risked.

I'd rather spend 3/4 of the military budget on space exploration than on war, anyway. We should keep the space program going, but prevent them from doing any military research/projects in space.

Like that'll fucking happen.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Welcome to DU

[thinkingwoman]

18. Welcome volitionx!

:hi:

[hobbit709]

12. Another prime example of bean-counter thinking

How many disasters were caused by somebody trying to cut costs?
From personal experience in the electronics/computer business, every time a company/gov agency wants to cut costs, quality control goes out the window as an unnecessary expense.

[pinniped]

17. It does seem like it was rushed into space for some reason.

I was thinking that right after the first delay. After what happend a couple years ago, one would think they wouldn't take a chance on anything. Guess not.

[wli]

20. no, they're lying through their teeth

Frankly, it may even be a staged disaster in order to distract from the political situation, though there's no evidence of it either way.