The Space Shuttle Fight

[mookiemookie]

NASA recently made a decision to distribute the retired shuttle fleet to various cities around the country. Discovery went to the Smithsonian (makes perfect sense), Atlantis went to Kennedy Space Center in Florida (again, makes perfect sense). The Endevour goes to Los Angeles and the Callifornia Science Center (uh...ok....) and Enterprise (which never went into space) goes to Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.

Wait a miniute...no Houston? The site of NASA Mission Control doesn't warrant getting a shuttle for a museum piece?

Let me tell you, it's been a crapstorm in Houston since the decision was announced. The rednecks predictably are blaming Obama, of course. Others are saying that Houston had 3 years to put a proposal together but didn't get serious about it until about a year ago.

150 years after the Civil War, it looks like there's another catfight brewing between the Yankees and the Southern Boys. Texas congressmen and women have introduced a bill to take New York's shuttle. This little tit for tat resulted:

That drew this response from New York Congressman Charles Schumer, "When people from Paris, Beijing, Tokyo and Amsterdam start saying they want to go to Houston, maybe then they'll get a shuttle. I'd say to Texas, don't mess with New York."

Texas Congressman Ted Poe then fired back, "whether Senator Schumer likes it or not, the Big Apple had nothing to do with NASA or the space shuttle program until Tuesday."

I hope it passes. I find it unbelievable that they figure LA or New York has more of a right to a space shuttle than Houston does.

[razark]

LA's claim to a shuttle:
The Orbiters were built in Palmdale, just northeast of LA. The primary landing site for the early missions, until KSC built the Shuttle Landing Facility, was nearby at Edwards AFB. I think it would make perfect sense for California to host Enterprise. She was never a space vehicle, but she did undertake several free flights from the back of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. These tests were done at Edwards. California can make a decent claim for Enterprise.

Discovery was always intended for the Smithsonian. Retired NASA spacecraft are automatically transferred to their collection, and loaned out to other locations. I have no problems with that, or with Atlantis at KSC.


A shuttle in New York makes no sense to me. There's no connection to the program there. Having a shuttle in New York, Virginia, Florida, and California puts them on the coasts, with three on the east coast, and one on the west.

Houston has always been the home of the shuttle program. The program was managed at JSC, the vehicles were designed and controlled there. The astronauts lived and trained in Houston.

New York gets a shuttle, Houston gets a couple of chairs. I made the suggestion that they should be displayed on rotating bases, since we've been told to sit and spin.

Edit:
At lunch today, I was wandering around the gift shop, looking for a cheap plastic shuttle to stick out in Rocket Park, with a nice thank you note for Mr. Bolden. Sheesh, that chinese crap is overpriced. I might just do it anyway.

[Falkirion]

Well there is Vandenburgh in California and it was going to be one of the launch sites for the shuttle program. But I definitely agree that Houston should have one of the shuttles, it's a damn shame that they didn't get their act in gear before now.

[Platapus]

Since Houston still has the space centers, I think they have enough "history" on display. More people will visit NYC than Houston. I have never heard anyone at work discuss taking a vacation to Houston.

[GoldenRivet]

I saw screw all the cities.

give one to the smithsonian, strip them down of toxic materials and make coral reefs out of them

I say launch them and find a way to land them on the moon.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

NASA recently made a decision to distribute the retired shuttle fleet to various cities around the country. Discovery went to the Smithsonian (makes perfect sense), Atlantis went to Kennedy Space Center in Florida (again, makes perfect sense). The Endevour goes to Los Angeles and the Callifornia Science Center (uh...ok....) and Enterprise (which never went into space) goes to Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.

Wait a miniute...no Houston? The site of NASA Mission Control doesn't warrant getting a shuttle for a museum piece?

Let me tell you, it's been a crapstorm in Houston since the decision was announced. The rednecks predictably are blaming Obama, of course.

I blame Obama, guess that makes me a redneck. This President has not been a friend to NASA, and I think you know how I feel about hitching a ride with the Russians. Our space program's demise is a national disgrace, and Obama sure had a hand in it. But, to be fair, it's pretty symbolic of the way this country is falling from greatness.

I'm less concerned with where they park the retired shuttles than I am with the pathetic shortsightedness evident in the current administration.

[TLAM Strike]

I park one in front of the capital building and one in front of the entrance to the Air Force's slice of the Pentagon with a "F**K You note" taped to the window.

The USAF wanted shuttles to fly their payloads and Congress said all govt payloads had to fly on the shuttle until Challenger happened. Thanks to these asses we have been stuck in LEO for the past 25 years.

The Shuttle has been the worst program NASA has done.

Good riddance...

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I blame Obama, guess that makes me a redneck. This President has not been a friend to NASA, and I think you know how I feel about hitching a ride with the Russians. Our space program's demise is a national disgrace, and Obama sure had a hand in it. But, to be fair, it's pretty symbolic of the way this country is falling from greatness.

I'm less concerned with where they park the retired shuttles than I am with the pathetic shortsightedness evident in the current administration.

Do you think the decision was in Obama's hands? Do you think he called up NASA and said "You know, we've got to screw Houston. Get those sumbeaches!" I'm not buying it.

I agree with you on NASA though - if we diverted a fraction of a percent of the defense budget for one year, we could fund NASA for years.

Originally Posted by Platapus

Since Houston still has the space centers, I think they have enough "history" on display. More people will visit NYC than Houston. I have never heard anyone at work discuss taking a vacation to Houston.

Let's put the space shuttle in Paris, France then. More international tourists than NYC.

And speaking of enough "history" on display, I don't think NYC is hurting for tourist attractions.

[Torplexed]

Hmm. The Museum of Flight in Seattle is getting the Shuttle Simulator. It looks a lot like a space shuttle — if you can overlook the fact that it doesn't have wings and it's made out of plywood. However, I think the argument can be made that Houston is more entitled to it, since that's where the astronauts trained. Frankly, I'm surprised Seattle got more than a few half-used jars of Tang from NASA as we didn't have a great deal to do with the Shuttle program during it's run.

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I blame Obama, guess that makes me a redneck. This President has not been a friend to NASA, and I think you know how I feel about hitching a ride with the Russians. Our space program's demise is a national disgrace, and Obama sure had a hand in it. But, to be fair, it's pretty symbolic of the way this country is falling from greatness.

I'm less concerned with where they park the retired shuttles than I am with the pathetic shortsightedness evident in the current administration.

Russians are prepared to take your tax dollars to fly Americans to space.

They just commissioned their new Soyuz TMA-M and there are proposals for Soyuz-K. In addition to that in Thursday they promised to develop successor for Soyuz.

I think that its good investment as I believe that it doesn't matter who will be president in America. I doubt NASA will get more money. They may even cancel Orion as its not absolutely necessary. There are Russians and I'm sure they understand language of dollar!

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I'm less concerned with where they park the retired shuttles than I am with the pathetic shortsightedness evident in the current administration.

And if Obama were to say that he wanted to pour billions of dollars in to NASA people would be bitchin about his spending.

Personally, I think taking a break from very expensive space exploitation is a good plan. No one is saying that we will never go back. But let's take a break until our economy finishes recovery. Maybe after we get out of a few wars and we can start cutting the military budget, we might be able to afford funding NASA again.

Or are you suggesting that we borrow more money to fund NASA?