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Atlantis launch | Shuttle launch of Atlantis marks near-end of program

The space shuttle launch today is the final mission for Atlantis as the space shuttle program winds down and Obama starts a new direction for manned spaceflight. Flickr photo.
One of the last remaining shuttle launches today lights up its awesome spectacle Friday. The countdown has begun on the final launch of space shuttle Atlantis. Only two more shuttle launches remain. Space shuttles Discovery and Endeavor will conduct their final missions to complete the International Space Station before the aging fleet of spacecraft is retired for good. The end of space shuttle launch countdowns has sparked a battle between old-school astronauts and a new generation of space entrepreneurs.
Obama’s NASA plan
President Obama’s NASA plan means the shuttle launch, like the one today, will soon be a thing of the past. A new direction for the space program calls for commercial enterprises to take over the lead from government. Aging heroes who walked on the moon predict doom and gloom for U.S. spaceflight with Obama’s NASA plan. However, adventurous billionaires are looking forward to a brighter future for space exploration. What’s more, the U.S. government is broke and taking out a huge cash loan for dealing with an economic meltdown and fighting two wars. For the present, earthbound initiatives are a priority.
Billions up in fire and smoke
The shuttle launch was the most spectacular aspect of an expensive, extremely complex program. The technology is more than 30 years old. If you ask most engineers, they are amazed that only two space shuttles met with disaster in 25 years. According to NASA, the space shuttle Endeavor, built to replace the space shuttle Challenger, which disintegrated reentering the atmosphere in 2003, cost about $1.7 billion. The average cost to launch a space shuttle, not including the rest of its mission, is about $450 million. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Shuttle launch of Atlantis marks near-end of program” Read more

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