For the last few weeks I have been obsessed with Nasa and the space shuttles.

When I was in Orlando in 1994 I saw this launch, something that I will never ever forget. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkmcAaN5dTE

So it's of particular interest to me that the final ever space launch is by Atlantis also. The space shuttles look so awesome for something that is 30 years old. It's as if NASA is going backwards with their retirement. So sad.

Over the years they have transported two decades worth of M&Ms; and brought a couple of iphone4s with them this time. It's also fascinating to have the astronauts on the ISS tweeting life from space.

The NASA replacements are similar in style to the Apollo rockets with an area of manned quarters that will make a splash down to earth. No more of the gracefulness of the shuttle.

The idea is that they want them to go deeper into space then the Shuttles could ever go.


The idea of the shuttles were to be a reusable space craft with they thought would be more cost affective, but in reality it was more expensive as they were being reused they needed to be more stringent with the checks (especially after Columbia and challenger) and the cost of replacing worn out parts mounts up.

I don't particularly find the Russian rockets aesthetically pleasing and I often wonder how they actually make it to rendezvous with the ISS.

My thirst for interest this week has taken me from the reaction to the families as they watched their siblings/partners as Challenger exploded and also about the faked moon landings.

I wish we went back to the moon, would be curious to see if the US flag is still there.

have you got moonfire? lovely book, but i'm about 60/40 in favor of it never happened i'm sure we tried but reckon every one was killed

edit: i was told we are just using the russian rockets to get upto the iss now?

Even in its full form, that sentence is confusing

anyone have links to twitter accounts of astronauts in space?

the fact you have always been able to see the landing site from earth with a telescope was pretty decisive for me

the main reason i believe they did, is because surely russia would have been like "lolz dey lyin'"…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Viz_comic_strips

Childish but in stitches just reading the descriptions of the characters

I was hoping that article was going to say some nerdy kid had created a super strength lazer pen and was flicking it across the face of the moon mischievously

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bingham,_7th_Earl_of_Lucan

Also..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Experiment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_field_theory