Keep your fingers crossed, this is the big one. Americas first mission by a private company useing a manned space launch. And the first we've had since 2011. President Trump said he was going to be watching this very closely.
America needs a pride jump start right now. Pound sand Democratic's, we are flying again.
Living here in "Launch Central" by the Kennedy Space Center amid the "social distancing" clap trap, I am wondering where the 500,000 (HALF A MILLION) additional "Looky Lou's" are going to congregate today to watch today's historic launch? After they depart, how huge will the pile of carp be that they leave behind on our currently pristine streets, river fronts, and beaches?
There WILL BE a dem panic of public proportions on our coast today. Most businesses are still closed. Supplies are very limited. Restaurants are "allowed" to open - but not more than a max of 25% occupancy - at "social distancing" intervals. Take out? That's a stretch. This area never had the capacity to feed the masses at FULL POTENTIAL before COVID - now that capacity is cut back to 25%.
There will not be 7 loaves and 2 fish today to feed the masses dinner at 5:00 p.m., one half hour after the launch. It is going to take at LEAST 2 hours just to untangle the traffic.
I am staying home...though my sister and BIL are arriving mid-day today to see the launch, thus doubling my household occupancy. I can see the rocket from my front yard when it has topped the trees. They may wish to go to the river's edge for a view as it leaves the ground (in some highly popular places you can actually see the launch pad).
I prefer to see it lift off on TV, then wander into the yard to watch its trajectory to space. As it accelerates, the deep, long wave, rumbling sound hits the area like thunder. The rocket's smoke and condensate trail twists into a spiral swayed by upper atmospheric winds. Folks come out of their homes and turn their attention skyward. Cars stop along roadsides. Some point. Most just stare in the awe of it. ALL of the neighborhood dogs bark.
I have seen A LOT of launches. It does not get boring and I want this one to go smoothly. We ALL need this one to go smoothly - for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is the two very brave men who are being launched today. Our thoughts and prayers for a safe ride go with them.
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They do it every time. Dems cut things which either make America gain presteige among world nations, hurts our military opr boosts America's sovereignty.
..But with a true All-American at the helm, we have quit hitch hiking into space..for the first time since Obama 'colluded' with the Russians, in order to elevate Russia in the world's eyes.
I would be far more "enthusiastic" if the United States had accomplished this "space station" sans the Russians.
I do however, hope the launch goes well.
Me? Im all for it. Let space become a private interest thing and spend our tax money on our military and other real issues. I haven't seen a bit a profit come from the billions we spent on NASA. Good reason why the US and Russia havent bothered with the moon. Theres nothing there!! Our prestige amount the countrys of the world?? WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK. Bottom line is this is a private company. Doesn't have much to do with politics. About like having national pride in apple because they came out with a new cell phone.
Russia charges us 75 million per astronaut, and that's just for the ride. There's no telling what else is attached to that bill. Crew Dragon is not a very big space capsule when compared to the Shuttle, so it can't carry very much other than it being just for transportation. Supply's for the ISS will still have to be delivered by a different vehicle.
But this is still a big milestone for America. I hope Obama is crying in his wheaties with a picture of Caitlyn Jenner on the box.
A bit more of the vision for space speech. Puts a little different slant on it when you include everything not just the part that helps your side of the discussion.
To meet this goal, we will return the Space Shuttle to flight as soon as possible, consistent with safety concerns and the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. The Shuttle's chief purpose over the next several years will be to help finish assembly of the International Space Station. In 2010, the Space Shuttle -- after nearly 30 years of duty -- will be retired from service.
Our second goal is to develop and test a new spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, by 2008, and to conduct the first manned mission no later than 2014. The Crew Exploration Vehicle will be capable of ferrying astronauts and scientists to the Space Station after the shuttle is retired. But the main purpose of this spacecraft will be to carry astronauts beyond our orbit to other worlds. This will be the first spacecraft of its kind since the Apollo Command Module.
Our third goal is to return to the moon by 2020, as the launching point for missions beyond. Beginning no later than 2008, we will send a series of robotic missions to the lunar surface to research and prepare for future human exploration. Using the Crew Exploration Vehicle, we will undertake extended human missions to the moon as early as 2015, with the goal of living and working there for increasingly extended periods. Eugene Cernan, who is with us today -- the last man to set foot on the lunar surface -- said this as he left: "We leave as we came, and God willing as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." America will make those words come true. (Applause.)
Guzzi's explanation sounds like a "fact checkers" explanation.. You know, the fact checkers who take part of a truth, the part that agrees with their agenda. Sure GWB signed for the end of the shuttle program, assuming any American president worth a salt shaker, would carry the program forward, as every president has done since 1968.
We replaced the jeep with the M-151 and eventually with the Humvee, replaced the B1 with the B2, the M60 with the Abrams, the M1 with the M14...then with the M16. Such things are not usually just "dropped", but rather superceded..
Guzzi's post; "From Tech Times:
Former president George W. Bush initiated the Space Shuttle’s cancellation back in 2004 as part of his Vision for Space Exploration, where its main purpose in the coming years was to “help finish assembly of the International Space Station.” He announced that the Space Shuttle will retire from service in 2010, after three decades of duty."
I don't know what was it the Tech Times article, but that above post by Guzzi, appears to be only part of the story.
We seem to forget all the other jobs the shuttle preformed besides the ISS. Hubble, Anak, repairs, Air Force missions. Not to mention the repairs and launching of other satellites for other country's. And two GPS sats
that are still working.
Sometimes the shuttles preformed several different jobs with just the one launch. Jobs that afterwards
took several unmanned launches to do the same thing.
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