The Last 10 Days In The Space Shuttle's Bunker?, Atlantis apparently to be scrapped in 2008 Options

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060...lantis_spa.html :

"Under orders to retire the shuttle fleet by 2010, NASA plans to cancel shuttle Atlantis' next scheduled overhaul and mothball the ship in 2008.

"Rather than becoming a museum piece, however, Atlantis will serve as a spare parts donor for sister ships Discovery and Endeavour to complete assembly of the International Space Station.

" 'People are already calling us and asking us can they display one of our orbiters in their museum after we're done. I'm not giving anybody anything until we're all agreed the station is complete and the shuttles' job is done,' shuttle program manager Wayne Hale told Kennedy Space Center employees during a televised address on Friday.

" 'We're going to keep (Atlantis) in as near flight-ready condition as we can without putting it through a (modification and overhaul) so we can use those parts,' Hale said.
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Jeffrey Bell has recently finished a piece for "SpaceDaily" proclaiming that the wholesale cancellation of other NASA projects in the FY 2007 budget to keep Shuttle and ISS going is actually just part of Michael Griffin's Machiavellian strategy to get both of the cancelled, by making it clear that they can be saved now only at the cost of a swarm of other projects (including Bush's lunar program) which are now more popular. Certainly that is the overwhelming message being conveyed, whether Griffin planned it that way or not -- I haven't seen a single newspaper editorial yet that favors retaining Shuttle at this point.

(Bell also claims to see other, subtler evidence of this strategy in Griffin's moves over the last few weeks -- and also signs that he definitely plans to throw ISS from the train as well, by just giving it to the Russians half-finished in a few years and paying off the ESA and Japan for their unlaunched space lab modules. These include the fact that he's cancelled work on the unmanned cargo variant of the Crew Exploration Vehicle that will be necessary to take up replacement Control Moment Gyros to the ISS after the Shuttle is no longer available.)

[lyford]

I appreciate the range of opinionated opinions expressed by fellow members, and a little "energetic" bumping of elbows and egos I think is to be expected when we have invested so much into these topics. This board is the height of civility compared to the Wild West of teh intenets out there, but even so, I do feel that this particular thread has gotten more off track and the tone uncomfortably close to ad hominems than others.

I want to chime in on some of the exploration qua exploration discussion, but this thread has been hijacked enuf. We have a whole Policy and Strategy section. Wouldn't it be more apropos to go off over there?

PS -But cripes, if you can rant against manned spaceflight on a BBS called UNMANNED SPACEFLIGHT, where can you do so?

[djellison]

PS -But cripes, if you can rant against manned spaceflight on a BBS called UNMANNED SPACEFLIGHT, where can you do so?

That was NEVER what this place was intended for. I'm having very serious thoughts at removing the political, observational and manned subforums as it is.

Doug

[mchan]

That was NEVER what this place was intended for. I'm having very serious thoughts at removing the political, observational and manned subforums as it is.

Doug

I don't take Bruce's posts as rants. Strongly opinionated, yes. I very seldomly join in the debates, but Ihey do bring up thought provoking points, and I do learn from them. Manned spaceflight and politics, directly or indirectly, for better or for worse, do have an impact upon unmanned spaceflight. While we enjoy the fruits of the ongoing missions and the discussions on the forthcoming (or not) missions, we should not be unaware of external influences upon them.

I understand the point of this forum is the exchange of technical and scientific information in an informal setting. Coming from 15 years of experience with Usenet, this forum is remarkably civil, and a joy to read. I have noted times when posts have been heated, and I think you have applied just the right control in keeping folks at an even temper. This IS more work for you as a moderator, and I thank you for your efforts.

[helvick]

I understand the point of this forum is the exchange of technical and scientific information in an informal setting. Coming from 15 years of experience with Usenet, this forum is remarkably civil, and a joy to read. I have noted times when posts have been heated, and I think you have applied just the right control in keeping folks at an even temper. This IS more work for you as a moderator, and I thank you for your efforts.

I whole heartedly agree with this.

Doug - there is a fine line in figuring out what to allow and what not but for what it's worth I think discussions like this are very beneficial provided all parties know that you will come down hard if folks cross the line.

I've really found the discussion in this thread worthwhile. I don't know how much moderating you've had to do on it but from where I'm reading the end result is a useful contribution by all to this board.