Exactly - and the point of the story, really.

There's going to be such great gnashing of teeth regarding what is damage to worry about and what is damage that makes no difference whatsoever.

This things falling apart at the seams! I wish my old Toyota Celica with 220k miles was still around. It never fell apart. I'd offer it to NASA - cheap!

at times I ponder why with all the advances in technology are we still using that type of shuttle to go into space with......we've been using the same shuttles since at least the 80's ....right? you would think they can design something better by now.... :confused:

I'm still waiting for my personal jet pack

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/pt...otrek.jetpack/

http://www.futurehorizons.net/jetpacks.htm

Oooh, better yet, the "Azeem" jet pack. If that's not tailor made for you, I don't know what is!

http://www.azeem2000.com/modules.php...=article&sid=5

Related links: More about Boba and Jango Fett

Am I the only one who finds this funny?

I do like the hover-platform. I think it would be way more fun than a Segway

As I listened to the following signoff message on NASA-TV, I felt inspired, optimistic yet saddened, but full of hope about the future of science and space exploration. Well said, Commander Collins. I hope more media outlets had reported or broadcasted the following:


Pictured above: STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins waves while suiting up on launch day.

Commander Collins' Flight Day 1 Signoff - July 26, 2005
At the end of Flight Day 1, STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins delivered a message before signing off for the night.

On the evening of our first day in space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, the STS-114 crew would like to send our thanks to the teams who've worked so hard over the past two and a half years to return the fleet to orbit. Our thanks go out to all the managers, the engineers, the technicians and everyone. Give yourselves a pat on the back. This is work well done.

As our crew looks back at our beautiful planet and then outwards toward the unknown of space, we feel the importance, today more than any time, of space exploration to all those who are living on Earth. Our flight is the next flight of many in the human exploration of the universe.

And finally, we reflect on the last shuttle mission, the great ship Columbia and her crew--Rick, Willie, Mike, K.C., Dave, Laurel and Elan. We miss them, and we are continuing their mission. God bless them tonight, and God bless their families. Good night.


Pictured above: On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers of mission STS-107 were lost over North Texas. Top row: David M. Brown, William C. McCool, and Michael P. Anderson. Bottom row: Kalpana Chawla, Rick D. Husband, Laurel B. Clark, and Ilan Ramon.

I was visiting the Air-and-Space annex a couple of months ago. The shuttle Enterprise is sitting inside. During the tour our guide proudly told us that in twenty-five years we went from Sputnik to the Space Shuttle. She seemed none too happy with me when I replied "Wow! and in the 25 Years since the shuttle we have gone from the shuttle to err well the shuttle."