Users who Dugg This
Cecil Helton
12879 Followers
CourageWolf
6888 Followers
Jeff Flowers
18282 Followers
Chuck Penny
519 Followers
Russ Smith
18390 Followers
gorgeoussand
8413 Followers
raju paliwal
11 Followers
rufiohoDec 30, 2010
FTA: "It is the 41st successful mission in a row of Ariane 5. In 2010 we launched 12 satellites from a world total of 20"
emfkDec 31, 2010
The last frontier is about to be filled with satellites everywhere.
deafbeatDec 31, 2010
Glad they successfully accomplished it, quite risky business.
gkiltzDec 31, 2010
We're falling behind!!!!
jqp123Dec 31, 2010
And why do you suppose that is? Because we don't give NASA enough money?
Over the past 50 years, NASA has spent 10X that of any other space agency in the world ... and yet we are behind. Clearly, the amount of money isn't the real problem ... it's the way it was spent. And people who blindly supported all things NASA share in the blame.
miklkitDec 31, 2010
There is a big difference between sending up communications satellites and putting men on the moon. Or building a space station, for that matter. There also has been a steady stream of hitech goodies from NASA. Pulling the plug on the space shuttle without having a replacement is a big mistake that drops us down to where everyone else is.
jqp123Dec 31, 2010
"There is a big difference between sending up communications satellites and putting men on the moon. Or building a space station, for that matter."
Correct. One is a practical application of space technology, the others are mainly just publicity stunts.
eksdJan 1, 2011
Name one publicity stunt.
jqp123Jan 1, 2011
The space shuttle itself was a solution looking for a problem. There was nothing to be gained by repeatedly sending 7 people into low earth orbit. The only thing we ever learned from the space shuttle is that it was dangerous and expensive --- directly the opposite of what NASA promised.
The space station was yet another boondoggle of monumental proportions. It was done primarily as an exercise to justify the existence of the space shuttle.
Both of these squandered huge amounts of resources and left us where we are today --- behind the Europeans, the Russians and the Japanese in terms of practical application of space technology.
eksdJan 2, 2011
I can definitely see your logic, but wouldn't you agree that the ISS's mission, among other things, is to produce quality laboratory test results in a nil-gravity environment?
It seems pretty important, coupled with the fact that, somehow, various nations on this Earth were able to build a space station by their own systems, yet have it all meet together *in space.*
I think it's a symbol that unified, people can move forward.
When it comes to the space shuttle, I'll admit that I'm not an expert; I'll also admit that it wasn't massively successful. At all.
Then again, if it had paid off, its advantages were pretty clear: easy to land, easy to reuse and recycle, and was pretty versatile. Granted, these are tools, and the Saturn V was an awesome tool, which is why NASA is returning to its roots.
I don't see them as publicity stunts as much as attempts at innovation that may or may not have failed.
wardcosbysonJan 2, 2011
thank you so much