They made it home safe and sound

[W5IEI]

http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-astron...025744207.html

Good on them.

[K7SGJ]

Absolutely. It's ashame our space program has been cut back so far. But I guess too many people feel it's a waste of $$ that could be used elsewhere. But had it never happened, many of todys technology and conveniences would not exsist.

It good to see Walmart & Apple money being put to good use.

[W4GPL]

Absolutely. It's ashame our space program has been cut back so far.

Sorry, more FUD..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Budget

Can show me how "far" our NASA budget has been cut back? We're simply not wasting it on running a taxi service.

[N8YX]

But when ya need a cab...ya need a cab. And don't bank on the good will of the Russians or the Chinese to get you there, either.

Those nations understand the strategic and scientific importance of space - both near-Earth and far - and are actively doing something about it. Remember Reagan's SDI program? I predict the Russians will field a workable spaceborne platform in the next 20 years, and the Chinese will follow with one shortly thereafter. At that point it's game over for the U.S. as a strategic power.

[W4GPL]

Which is exactly why we've contracted SpaceX to be our cab driver. The US will be back to manned space flight in less than 4 years. Did we make the same dire predictions during the 1970s and early 80s when there was no manned space flight and we were banking on a pie in the sky shuttle that never really lived up to its expectations?

Oh and by the way, have you seen the AirForce's military space budget? We're the ones leading the space wars... It's morning in America, some people are just too damned partisan and cynical to see it. I'm highly optimistic about our future, we're smarter and more innovated. We don't need big giant space shuttles to prove that.

[K7SGJ]

Sorry, more FUD..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Budget

Can show me how "far" our NASA budget has been cut back? We're simply not wasting it on running a taxi service.

Please go back and read my post. I said nothing about the $$ spent. Although I have no pesonal data, nor do I wish to resaerch it for you, I can safly say that even if the same $$ were being spent, the buying power would be a lot less. However, that is not where I was going with the GENERAL statement. The space program, at least the one I grew up knowing, was a hell of a lot more than just a "taxi service" as you put it. John Glen, the Gemini and Appolo programs, Hubble, unmanned probes, ISS, a better understanding of the universe, and many others can be found, if you care to do a little research. Granted, it's not for everyone, but it does interest me; a hell of a lot more than all the political bullshit going on, the corruption and greed that is crippling this country, and even what goes on at the ZED; not to mention so much of the other negative shit in the news, and posted here, too.

You might be interested in some of the positive results of the space program, and then again, maybe not. But if you are, Google is your friend. I'll get you startred:

http://curiosity.discovery.com/topic...nventions1.htm
http://airandspace.si.edu/collection...pollotop10.htm
http://suite101.com/article/practica...hnology-a98927

I'm sure you, just as I, probably don't welcome ALL the discoveries and practical applications directly related to the space program (airport scanners come to mind), but there are clearly many things that touch everyone's life, that can be traced back to the knowledge gained because of the space program, some, even because of the Shuttle Program; and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the communications and tracking used by earthbound TAXI SERVICE could be traced back to mans exploration of space.

[W4GPL]

And you might have missed my point is that we're still innovating and building new/exciting things, it just doesn't also happen to involve the public spotlight of a pretty bright shuttle.

[K7SGJ]

And you might have missed my point is that we're still innovating and building new/exciting things, it just doesn't also happen to involve the public spotlight of a pretty bright shuttle.

Damn, you really have a severe case of tunnel vision going on this morning. Comprehension troubles?

[W4GPL]

Damn, you really have a severe case of tunnel vision going on this morning. Comprehension troubles?

Yes.. I R DUMB.. SORRIEZ.

[K7SGJ]

Yes.. I R DUMB.. SORRIEZ.

Spell checkers were discovered on a space shuttle.