Two Years After Columbia's Demise, Excitement Over Shuttle's Return

By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press
Published: Jan 30, 2005



CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Two years after Columbia's demise, excitement over the space shuttle fleet's return to the skies in just a few short months is finally overtaking the agony of the accident.
In the past few weeks, two special deliveries have boosted morale among shuttle workers and provided tangible evidence they are rounding the corner.

One is a special tool to inspect the next shuttle while in orbit for any damage to its thermal-protective skin. The other is a brand new fuel tank guaranteed by NASA not to shed big chunks of foam insulation that could harm the shuttle.

Those are two of the biggest technical changes resulting from a lengthy review of what destroyed Columbia and killed seven astronauts on that still painfully vivid Saturday morning, Feb. 1, 2003.

It's appropriate, workers say, that two of the most crucial items for safely going into space again are finally at Kennedy Space Center, just in time for the second anniversary of the tragedy.

more:

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBM2Z2LL4E.html

Unbelievable.

And if memory serves, I am now reminded that next year is the 20th anniversary of Challenger's explosion, isn't it?

Man, how the time flies.

January 28, 1986 -- I can remember it like yesterday.

JPL accomplishes more in a year, every year, than the manned space program has accomplished in the last thirty years.

The manned space program has, as end goal, self-sufficient human communities not on earth. At the rate we're going, we're going to need that off site backup Real Soon Now.

I'm not in favor of entirely privatizing the entire space exploration, but opening it up to private concerns can't hurt. And last I looked, JPL is heavily government funded, so the privatization argument doesn't hold.

Pcat

like bushyboy promised us we would in his speech last year.

So when's the first flight to Mars, georgie? September? October? Remember, you said we're going to do it.

Redstone

the program has doomed us to low earth orbit for the last 25 years, and the shuttle is not that much cheaper than using traditional rockets. It sure the hell ain't safer.

Its time to have a loftier goal than just plunking another shuttle a mere hundred miles off the ground.