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Atlantis launched today, to be the last shuttle to go into space. Who's sad about this? I always loved those orbiters, but now that they're all being retired, I feel it's just a huge step back from all the things we've done.

I completely agree...while the launch is exciting in its own right, looking forward I'm actually quite sad. We've made such amazing progress with space exploration, and to cut it off at the knees to spare not even 5% of the total federal budget...? What silly creatures we are. I suppose privatization of the space program is the way of the future. So many Carl Sagan quotes come to mind, though...what happens to our ambition as a species if we forestall our own capacity for exploration and inquiry?

I'm not even American, and seeing the last of the shuttles blast off almost brought tears to me. With nothing to directly take over the shuttle's duty, it feels like the end of not just a chapter, but an entire book.

Hopefully it will turn out to be only the first of a trilogy of books, with the next books being released very soon, in which players like Space-X, Armadillo and whoever else in the private sector is getting serious about launching people into space pick up where the story left off...

Concussion wrote:I completely agree...while the launch is exciting in its own right, looking forward I'm actually quite sad. We've made such amazing progress with space exploration, and to cut it off at the knees to spare not even 5% of the total federal budget...? What silly creatures we are. I suppose privatization of the space program is the way of the future. So many Carl Sagan quotes come to mind, though...what happens to our ambition as a species if we forestall our own capacity for exploration and inquiry?

Amen to that!