The Last Shuttle: The Atlantis
On July 8th at 11:26 a.m., the space shuttle Atlantis successfully lifted off from The Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One million people cheered and cried as they watched the take off. According to President Obama's 2011 budget, it will most assuredly be be the last shuttle launch ever. The plan is to ship the last few, fully working shuttles off to museums to collect dust. After Atlantis returns to Earth, it too will be a museum exhibit.
Obama's Plan to Dismantle the Program
With the nation's deficit so high, it is understandable that economic cuts have to be made. However, the President isn't just cutting back the program he has made it inert . He is closing down the shuttle program and the astronauts living and training quarters. Yet he is going to keep the scientific laboratory on the base open. After all, it was NASA's science that lead to communications satellites, GPS (a great help to our troops) , wireless remote applications, and the internet. These are all wonderful things that have applications beyond space travel.
Kennedy Space Center's Successes and Failures
There have been 135 successful launches but that is not to say there weren't any trials and tribulations they had to face. Most notably are the tragic ending of the space shuttles, Challenger and Columbia. Yet the people at NASA continued on despite their personal loss. Without the Space Center, we wouldn't have the Hubble Telescope, which has given us many beautiful pictures of stars and a planet we will never see or touch. The Space Program also helped build the International Space Station and in the process caused countries to come together for a united cause.
Where do Our Astronauts Go From Here?
There was a time when the Unites States watched Russia and China because we feared war. Today we watch them for an entirely different reason, their space programs. For the next several years President Obama has decided that American astronauts will be getting to The International Space Station via the Russian Space Program. Four American astronauts will be heading skyward with the Russians next year.
The Chinese Space Program is known to be slow but steady in its endeavors. Their program may be behind now, but not forever. This could provide another option for our astronauts to fly.
My Own Experience
When I was young I went to The Kennedy Space Center and was able to watch a shuttle take off in all its glory. It was a powerful and beautiful sight that I will never see again. President Obama has ended one space era. Hopefully, the President or someone else will begin a new space epoch because there is so much more to be explored in space, our final frontier.
Sources:
- Chang, K. (8 July 2011) " Atlantis Lifts Off for Last Shuttle Mission " The New York Times
- Leinwand-Leger, D. (9 July 2011) " Shuttle Atlantis Reaches Orbit for Final Time " USA Today
- Mosk, M. and Ferran, L. (8 July 2011) "Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch: NASA enters Its Own Black Hole" ABC News
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