Did the space shuttle kill society's dream of going into space?

[Feralpeg]

While I like watching the launches, I have never had any desire to go to space. I only watch the launches because I can see them from my house. I did enjoy touring Kennedy Space Center and going inside Endeavor. If anything substantial comes out of the space program, it will be long after I'm gone. You couldn't pay me enough to go into space!

 

[BrianL]

Back to add... if you haven't been to Kennedy Space Center to see Atlantis on display, you really should dedicate a half day to just go visit. When they lift the screen to reveal the shuttle, and it's just a couple feet away from you, it will give you goosebumps. You can't appreciate how massive this thing is, until you see it up close like that. It really was inspiring.

I saw Discovery at the Air & Space Museum hangar annex and it was amazing. They don't do any kind of reveal, but it has a whole area devoted to it and you can get pretty close. It's incredible and was worth the trip.

 

[DopeyDame]

The fall of the soviet union killed the US space program.

We didn't go to the moon for adventure or exploration or discovery. I mean sure - the people working for NASA did it for all those reasons - but the US spent more than 4% of the federal budget to get to the moon to beat the Russians.

When the soviet union collapsed and we didn't have competition, there was no reason to spend that much money on the space program. No greater national goal to meet by going to Mars or whatever.

If you want a revitalized US space program, we're going to need the Chinese space program to improve a lot.

And please know that I am as starry-eyed a space explorer as you can be.

 

[DopeyDame]

While I like watching the launches, I have never had any desire to go to space. I only watch the launches because I can see them from my house. I did enjoy touring Kennedy Space Center and going inside Endeavor. If anything substantial comes out of the space program, it will be long after I'm gone. You couldn't pay me enough to go into space!

Trust me - your life is different today because of the space program.
The camera in your iPhone, 3D mamography, hurricane warnings are all because of the space program (just off the top of my head)
And that doesn't even include military space. GPS, search and rescue rescue, earth imaging... all space.

But those things are different from the moon-shot, go-just-to-go programs like Apollo

 

[bcla]

If you want a revitalized US space program, we're going to need the Chinese space program to improve a lot.

The Chinese space program (and to some degree India) are trying to do what American and the Soviet Union were doing 40-50 years ago with much older technology.

I remember when China sent its first person into space. I mean - not the first person born in China to go into space. That was Taylor Wang who was born in China, moved to Taiwan and Hong Kong, and was educated in the United States. I was actually on vacation in China when I saw a piece on him in China's main English language newspaper. But as for China's first person in space - it was a bizarre sideshow. Think the scene in Rocky IV where Apollo Creed mocks his Soviet opponent to the tune of James Brown singing Living in America. When this guy was picked up, he was greeted by children in traditional costumes, but he looked really disoriented like he'd just woken up from a concussion. I heard it was a rough landing. Americans wouldn't have turned it into a show like that. The Soviets almost always did stuff without live television just in case something bad happened.

 

[bcla]

I saw Discovery at the Air & Space Museum hangar annex and it was amazing. They don't do any kind of reveal, but it has a whole area devoted to it and you can get pretty close. It's incredible and was worth the trip.

Discovery is displayed at the Udvar Hazy Center - landing gear down with a railing.

Endeavour was in a large tent (apparently still is) when I saw it in 2013.. It was nice. We walked under it and around it. The landing gear is up, but they mounted it on pylons where it's raised high enough to walk under it.

Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center is done differently. It's not level. It's mounted at an angle with the doors open and the Canadarm out. There might be a lower level where you can look underneath behind glass.

 

[DopeyDame]

The Chinese space program (and to some degree India) are trying to do what American and the Soviet Union were doing 40-50 years ago with much older technology.

I remember when China sent its first person into space. I mean - not the first person born in China to go into space. That was Taylor Wang who was born in China, moved to Taiwan and Hong Kong, and was educated in the United States. I was actually on vacation in China when I saw a piece on him in China's main English language newspaper. But as for China's first person in space - it was a bizarre sideshow. Think the scene in Rocky IV where Apollo Creed mocks his Soviet opponent to the tune of James Brown singing Living in America. When this guy was picked up, he was greeted by children in traditional costumes, but he looked really disoriented like he'd just woken up from a concussion. I heard it was a rough landing. Americans wouldn't have turned it into a show like that. The Soviets almost always did stuff without live television just in case something bad happened.

Wow - that must have been something to see!

Yup, the soviet/russia space program was always *far* more secretive than the US program, both to its own citizens and other countries. (Still is) The notable exception being when the Russians highly publicize their paying passengers
Remember when Lance Bass was going to go to space.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

The thing I don't understand is we have a very limited supply of the products needed to get us off this planet. I cannot see how we ever start colonizing anywhere else. We have47 years of known reserves of oil. Say we double that to 100 years. Than we are done. Can't make plastic. If we can't make plastic than we can't make chips. If we can't make chips pretty sure we are not getting off the planet.

 

[JaxDad]

Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center is done differently. It's not level. It's mounted at an angle with the doors open and the Canadarm out. There might be a lower level where you can look underneath behind glass.

It’s just suspended above the lower level at ceiling height with no glass...

It’s a fantastic exhibit with a great reveal.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Well the future of space is really on the shoulders of the younger generation and most seem fairly enthusiastic about it. The older people are starting to realize that many of the discoveries to be made are now out of the reach of their lifetime. In that sense I think their attention has moved onto more pressing things instead of the stars. Now not all of course, I am still a space fanatic (see username) but I don't hear many older people talking about the next launches for instance. Or even the highly anticipated JWST (which is taking way too long). However just like many things kids hold onto wonder much longer than adults.

 

[Gary2T]

The fall of the soviet union killed the US space program.

We didn't go to the moon for adventure or exploration or discovery. I mean sure - the people working for NASA did it for all those reasons - but the US spent more than 4% of the federal budget to get to the moon to beat the Russians.

When the soviet union collapsed and we didn't have competition, there was no reason to spend that much money on the space program. No greater national goal to meet by going to Mars or whatever.

If you want a revitalized US space program, we're going to need the Chinese space program to improve a lot.

And please know that I am as starry-eyed a space explorer as you can be.

For an interesting fictional alternate-history on this, check out the show For All Mankind on AppleTV+. It's based on the Soviets being first to land on the moon, and the space race not ending. Starts with the first moon landing and is currently in the late 80s or early 90s.

 

[GreatLakes]

Looking back the race to the moon wasn't really about getting to the moon, it was about beating the Russians to the moon. That competition is needed to drive the public desire. If we want to go to Mars we need China or Russia to set that as a goal and then spend money to beat them.

Personally I have no desire to go to space, there is way too much here on Earth I want to see. I do, however, hope we continue to invest in space flight, manned or not, because the unintended benefits of the scientific discoveries made along the way have more practical applications at home.

ETA: I replied without reading the rest of the thread and see this was already brought up.

 

[PollyannaMom]

It seems like society has become more risk averse...What killed our adventurous side?

I do think the Challenger disaster had some effect on dampening enthusiasm for the space program, but I definitely think it’s a symptom of the larger label you mentioned: we as a society have become more risk averse.

The astronauts involved in the early space race went in knowing it was dangerous, but they were OK with that, and so we’re the people watching. We took (and allowed or children to take) more risks back then.

Nowadays, we try to make everything ultra-safe, at the expense of some of the fun, but also at the expense of the pride that real accomplishments used to provide.

It’s hard to find the right balance, and I think it kind of swings like a pendulum - too far one way, then too far the other...

 

[DopeyDame]

For an interesting fictional alternate-history on this, check out the show For All Mankind on AppleTV+. It's based on the Soviets being first to land on the moon, and the space race not ending. Starts with the first moon landing and is currently in the late 80s or early 90s.

Oh that sounds awesome! I also really want to see Ted Lasso... I might have to break down and get Apple TV

 

[DopeyDame]

Since a few of the posters in here used this language...

It's not known as "manned spaceflight" anymore, fortunately.

You can say human spaceflight or crewed spaceflight. (I personally prefer human spaceflight, because crewed sounds like crude )

 

[bcla]

The astronauts involved in the early space race went in knowing it was dangerous, but they were OK with that, and so we’re the people watching. We took (and allowed or children to take) more risks back then.

Tom Wolfe with The Right Stuff nailed what it was like in the early days of NASA. The first American astronauts were all test pilots who knew the risks of anything new. Their families were always worried that there might be someone coming to the door with news of a pilot's death. The other deal was that NASA was open and allowed press coverage of their launches while the Soviet Union did everything in secrecy and announced their successes while hiding their failures.

Also - the original rockets had a tendency to blow up on the launch platform. Imagine putting a human at the top of one.

 

[fla4fun]

I think the shuttle helped keep the space program alive until the present day when the technology is advancing enough to move on to the next level. If the space program had just stopped cold after Apollo, I don’t know that there would have been enough interest for private companies to come in and pick up the reins. I see a future with more private companies involved and less government involved.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

I wouldn't want to go, afraid of something happening. DH now he'd love to. He said as a kid he wanted to go to Space Camp so bad, never went. I wonder if kids still want to go to Space Camp or just popular to the kids near the camp. DH didn't grow up anywhere near the camp.

 

[bcla]

Wow - that must have been something to see!

Yup, the soviet/russia space program was always *far* more secretive than the US program, both to its own citizens and other countries. (Still is) The notable exception being when the Russians highly publicize their paying passengers
Remember when Lance Bass was going to go to space.

Yeah. That was supposed to be ride with the Russians.

I saw some news reports showing the scene when Yang Liwei was recovered. Kids in folk costumes greeted him even though he looked rather confused. They do have a different manner of recovery though. It parachuted down to dry land. They literally have lounge chairs waiting, where a crew will carry them. Since Yang was alone on the flight it was just him.

 

[Flight]

I think some people thing
k there are better uses of public money, like finding a cure for cancer.