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Space shuttle columbia lost

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (foxer @ Feb. 02 2003,14:12)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I heard of a satellite that nasa is going send up in space cost 2 billion dollars to make.It's going take pictures of jupiter moons.Now thats an huge waste of tax payer money.<span id='postcolor'>

Considering that few of Jupiter's moons might harbor life AND be very nice places for colonization, I think studying them is in no way waste of taxpayer money, at least when comparing to the whopping 331+ billion dollars U.S. pours to defence every goddamn year.

Anyway, space programs are facing enough flak as it is, without accidents like the destruction of Columbia. In today's world filled with useless, crappy causes, those aboard the shuttle died for the only worthy cause left: The advancement of human knowledge and the conquest of the final frontier. At least they died with their boots on. No dementia and geriatric institutions for these people.

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Symbolic budget increase for NASA.

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">President Bush wants to boost funding for NASA by almost a half-billion dollars to modernize the space agency's aging shuttle fleet and develop a new space plane, an administration official said Sunday.

In the 2004 budget, a document outlining $2.2 trillion in proposed spending, Bush plans to bump NASA spending by nearly $500 million to $15.47 billion. The program has undergone cutbacks during the past decade. ....

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Well, if nothing it is at least a stop to the cutbacks. One space shuttle costs more then one billion US dollars so it's just a symbolic increase. The cost of design and production of a new space shuttle is far higher.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (denoir @ Feb. 03 2003,11:13)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Well, if nothing it is at least a stop to the cutbacks. One space shuttle costs more then one billion US dollars so it's just a symbolic increase. The cost of design and production of a new space shuttle is far higher.<span id='postcolor'>

Here we find the reason why democracy does not work. Popularity-fishing politicos pour funding to popular issues like bigger guns and tax cuts in U.S. and social security in Europe. The result is a decapitated scientific effort and therefore a severe decrease in the survival fitness of our species.

It's only so long we can keep all the eggs in the same basket.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Feb. 03 2003,12:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Here we find the reason why democracy does not work. Popularity-fishing politicos pour funding to popular issues like bigger guns and tax cuts in U.S. and social security in Europe. The result is a decapitated scientific effort and therefore a severe decrease in the survival fitness of our species.<span id='postcolor'>

So, there's no connection between higher life expectancy ages and democratic societies?

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,11:31)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">So, there's no connection between higher life expectancy ages and democratic societies?<span id='postcolor'>

Yes there is, but survival fitness of a species has nothing to do with life span of individuals. Survival fitness of a species indicates how robust the species is in avoiding extinction.

As a species we have so far developed some minor security nets against extinction, but we are still as vulnerable to global disasters as the dinosaurs were. And where are the dinosaurs now? With all our glorious cities with towers that reach for the heavens, we are still but worms that crawl in the mud of our mother planet.

Nope, we need to reach up from the gravity well and secure our existence for the next 5 billion years after which the sun will blink off.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Feb. 03 2003,13:33)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Nope, we need to reach up from the gravity well and secure our existence for the next 5 billion years after which the sun will blink off.<span id='postcolor'>

0060938129.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">A Hebrew love song chosen by Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon's wife for NASA to broadcast as a wake-up call to him in space was repeatedly played on Israel radio and TV stations on Sunday.

The song Rona Ramon had picked -- sung in Hebrew -- goes:

"Will you hear my voice, my distant one?

Will you hear my voice, wherever you are?

My last day is perhaps here,

The day of parting-tears is near."

-- UPI<span id='postcolor'>

So sad. sad.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 03 2003,14:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">A Hebrew love song chosen by Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon's wife for NASA to broadcast as a wake-up call to him in space was repeatedly played on Israel radio and TV stations on Sunday.

The song Rona Ramon had picked -- sung in Hebrew -- goes:

"Will you hear my voice, my distant one?

Will you hear my voice, wherever you are?

My last day is perhaps here,

The day of parting-tears is near."

-- UPI<span id='postcolor'>

So sad. sad.gif<span id='postcolor'>

Yes, it's a very well know old song here. It was played so many times on the radio here yesterday.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (5thSFG.CNUTZ @ Feb. 02 2003,15:15)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">sts107.jpg

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Don't you find it kind of funny to see a sts107 patch in the pile of debris?   I mean if you think about how big an explosion would have to be for the shuttle to practically disintegrate at 200,000, a small little arm patch would not simple escape such an immense explosion.

I can see debris from the shuttle because it’s made up of materials that are to withstand re-entering earth’s atmosphere etc.  But wouldn't you think that a small arm patch would incinerate, I mean after all it’s made of fibre, not metal.

Just seems odd that you would find an arm patch in the debris.

I'm not saying it’s a cover-up or "conspiracy" etc.  Just seems a bit strange.

IMHO I think NASA needs to focus a lot more attention on safety for shuttles etc.  I just hope that this horrible accident wasn't caused because someone overlooked something that lead to the disaster.  Or that it wasn't "cost effective" to replace a part that needed fixing.  

I mean after all most people know that car manufactures simply don't recall all the minivans if a certain latch on the door is faulty.  Instead its cheaper and more cost effective for them to pay out of court settlements for those that file law suits against the car manufactures for those that have had family members die from faulty components, than it is to replace the latches.  Which just plain disgusts me!

Also another factor is the shuttle was pretty old.  I mean I know its comparing apple to oranges when I say that most people buy a new car when its like 20+ years old.  I mean you can only repair and fix an old car for so long, and it will need to be replaced.

But aferall only 3-4 casualties to 113th missions is a pretty good record.  

Nothing is perfect in an imperfect world.

My heart as well goes out to the friends and families of those that perished on Columbia sad.gif  May they rest in peace and not have suffered!

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nopulse @ Feb. 03 2003,15:33)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">IMHO I think NASA needs to focus a lot more attention on safety for shuttles etc.<span id='postcolor'>

In my opinion, I think the Shuttles have to be scuttled altogether. The whole tile system is so full of risk.

Did anyone remember seeing the tile fall off of the back of the shuttle that John Glenn went up in?

It takes one of these tiles to fall off to destroy the entire craft.

I'm no scientist/physicist/inventor but they need to construct a vehicle that has some single piece/coat outer skin that can handle the heat or they need to find a way to control decent back to earth at a much slower safer speed.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,14:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I'm no scientist/physicist/inventor but they need to construct a vehicle that has some single piece/coat outer skin that can handle the heat or they need to find a way to control decent back to earth at a much slower safer speed.<span id='postcolor'>

In order to accelerate to the orbital speed, the shuttle has those two extra boosters and the extra fuel tank. In order to descend back to Earth, the shuttle has to nullify that speed. The easiest way to do it is to use atmospheric friction, which converts speed to heat. Otherwise the shuttle would need a pair of extra boosters and a fuel tank to do the braking burn for descend.

Ceramics are the only type of material, which can take the immense heat generated by the re-entry. Tiles are easy to replace (down on Earth), when they wear down and much easier to manufacture than some kind of uniform ceramic shell covering the whole ship (which might be impossible to manufacture).

If people whine about NASA risking the lives of the astronauts because replacing some parts simply costs too much, they should give NASA more money so that they can use only the most expensive parts and so on... Small budgets kill people and small budgets are the fault of politicos.

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I even heard that NASA might be developing an nuclear powered shuttle.  Just think of how much worse an expolsion would be onboard a shuttle fitted with nuclear power!

I agree Avonlady, NASA needs to find better ways to go into and return from space.  

Why aren't we using the alien technology from the Roswell crash to explore space?  After all they used some of the technology through reverse engineering to develop the stealth technology on the F117 etc. tounge.gif

But on a serious note, they do need to find a safer way to travel to and from space!  From rocket to shuttle to  confused.gif

Or perhaps its a hint that we are not ready for space exloration just yet!  I mean after all we haven't sovled the problems down here on earth yet!

I just hope when we have the capability to travel farther into space, that we "humans" have evolved and matured more.  I would hate to see humans exploring and conquering other planets for domination!

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nopulse @ Feb. 03 2003,15:19)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Or perhaps its a hint that we are not ready for space exloration just yet!  I mean after all we haven't sovled the problems down here on earth yet!<span id='postcolor'>

If this statement represents the average public opinion, we're heading towards extinction. crazy.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Feb. 03 2003,16:26)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If this statement represents the average public opinion, we're heading towards extinction.  crazy.gif<span id='postcolor'>

I can handle that 5-6 billion year problem of yours. tounge.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Longinius @ Feb. 01 2003,19:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Uhm, to be honest, what IS the big deal? Yes, people died and that is quite sad. But there are bigger accidents weekly all over the world and hardly anyone outside of the immidiate area gives a damn. Buses crashing, trains derailing, boats sinking and so on. This was actually a quite small accident compared to other stuff. Just seven dead.

Yeah, I feel sorry for the families. But I still dont see the big deal.<span id='postcolor'>

When buses crash, trains derail, boats sink or planes hit skyscrapers, it has no effect on anything in the grand scale of things.

But the space program is one of the pinnacles of human achievement and the destruction of the shuttle is going to seriously hamper it. The space program is the only hope we have of ever achieving a secure future for our children. At the moment our existence hangs by a thread that can be cut by an asteroid impact, global thermonuclear warfare, a cataclysmic volcanic eruption, a solar protuberance, greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, pollutant induced sterility, a passing singularity, etc.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,15:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I can handle that 5-6 billion year problem of yours. tounge.gif<span id='postcolor'>

5 billion years is what we have if we manage to get some of our population off this rock.

But since we are all down here, one extinction level event, which could occur tomorrow or a million years into the future, is all that is needed for the end.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Feb. 03 2003,16:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But the space program is one of the pinnacles of human achievement and the destruction of the shuttle is going to seriously hamper it. The space program is the only hope we have of ever achieving a secure future for our children. At the moment our existence hangs by a thread that can be cut by an asteroid impact, global thermonuclear warfare, a cataclysmic volcanic eruption, a solar protuberance, greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, pollutant induced sterility, a passing singularity, etc.<span id='postcolor'>

You can run but you can't hide! wow.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,14:48)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nopulse @ Feb. 03 2003,15:33)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">IMHO I think NASA needs to focus a lot more attention on safety for shuttles etc.<span id='postcolor'>

In my opinion, I think the Shuttles have to be scuttled altogether. The whole tile system is so full of risk.<span id='postcolor'>

Yes, this has always been seen as the shittle's weakest link.  Tiles have fallen off quite often, however the resulting re-entry damage never affected vital systems.  In other words, NASA has been playing Russian Roulette with the astronauts.

In 1998, Clinton ordered NASA to design a new generation of vehicles (X-33 ?) that would be 10 times cheaper and 100 times safer.  The project went over budget and got cut.

Of Bush's new $500 million booster grant to NASA, I wish he would allocate $10 million to double the XPrize winnings.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Feb. 03 2003,15:53)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">5 billion years is what we have if we manage to get some of our population off this rock.<span id='postcolor'>

I guess this means no more sleeping in on Sundays.  wink.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,15:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You can run but you can't hide! wow.gif<span id='postcolor'>

I'm sure that with the combined military might of U.S. and Israel we can blow that nasty moon out of the sky just after we have established a palestinian state in there. biggrin.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Oligo @ Feb. 03 2003,17:04)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,15:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You can run but you can't hide! wow.gif<span id='postcolor'>

I'm sure that with the combined military might of U.S. and Israel we can blow that nasty moon out of the sky just after we have established a palestinian state in there.  biggrin.gif<span id='postcolor'>

Umm..................... waht about the other tennants? tounge.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 03 2003,16:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">In 1998, Clinton ordered NASA to design a new generation of vehicles (X-33 ?) that would be 10 times cheaper and 100 times safer.  The project went over budget and got cut.<span id='postcolor'>

Those were supposed to do vertical landings, right?

The whole ISS might have to be junked if the shuttle program is closed. But I don't care.

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,16:09)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Umm..................... waht about the other tennants? tounge.gif<span id='postcolor'>

I guess we'll just have to ignore them and establish settlements on their land. And if they complain, shoot them. wink.gif

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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Feb. 03 2003,16:11)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The whole ISS might have to be junked if the shuttle program is closed. But I don't care.<span id='postcolor'>

What? You don't want new perfumes? wow.gif

How different is space? Not even flowers smell the same. Perfume giant International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) found that out in 1995 when they sent a miniature rose called "Overnight Scentsation" into orbit onboard the space shuttle Columbia. The flower developed a "floral rose aroma" quite distinct from its normal odor. The new fragrance has since been incorporated into "Zen", a perfume produced by the Japanese company Shiseido.

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