End of the Shuttle... End of USA hegemony?

[Skyrad 0]

With the moving touchdown of the shuttle today it makes me wonder is the end not only of the USA's space programme but also of wider US hegemony? Economically and global influence on the descendant with China, India and Brazil on the way up has this dog had its day?

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Frankyspanky 0]

It certainly looks like it, doesn't it.

I believe the American people are waking up though.

We humans only react when we have to, right now we have to or we will lose more than we are willing to admit.

Back a hundred years ago, especially around Woodrow Wilson, what happened in this country is we took freedom and we chopped it into pieces.
Ron Paul

[dks13827 3]

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With the moving touchdown of the shuttle today it makes me wonder is the end not only of the USA's space programme but also of wider US hegemony? Economically and global influence on the descendant with China, India and Brazil on the way up has this dog had its day?

I hope I am wrong, but I really do think that it's a 50/50 proposition whether the US does anything great ( or anything at all !!! ) in space for many decades to come. ( manned space flight ).

[muff528 3]

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With the moving touchdown of the shuttle today it makes me wonder is the end not only of the USA's space programme but also of wider US hegemony? Economically and global influence on the descendant with China, India and Brazil on the way up has this dog had its day?

Had the same thoughts this morning.

[kkeenan 13]

Private industry looks to be responding pretty well to the call for new spaceflight capability, however, this should have started years ago. The U. S. govt. can't seem to get out of its own way when it comes to a new manned spaceflight program. I've seen SpaceX's operation, and they do more with a few folks than a government program with a hundred times the people. It is truly a sad situation.

Kevin K.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[champu 1]

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With the moving touchdown of the shuttle today it makes me wonder is the end not only of the USA's space programme but also of wider US hegemony? Economically and global influence on the descendant with China, India and Brazil on the way up has this dog had its day?

I hope I am wrong, but I really do think that it's a 50/50 proposition whether the US does anything great ( or anything at all !!! ) in space for many decades to come. ( manned space flight ).

NASA's job is to figure out how to do things, learn how to do them well, and then move on to something else.

[kelpdiver 2]

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With the moving touchdown of the shuttle today it makes me wonder is the end not only of the USA's space programme but also of wider US hegemony? Economically and global influence on the descendant with China, India and Brazil on the way up has this dog had its day?

People argued that we lost any leadership in space when the Soviets put up Mir. And now the Russians are a one commodity (oil) banana republic.

Aside from going to Mars, what could NASA do that would inspire anyone? Go back to the moon? Establishing a colony there might, but that sort of expense will be a shared one. We can't afford it. And yes, the longer we spend hundreds of billions making better weapons of war rather than other technology, the worse off the US will be.

[billvon 2,434]

>Aside from going to Mars, what could NASA do that would inspire anyone?

Discovering life on another world. Detecting close approach of a brane. Developing a high thrust high specific impulse engine. Building an SSTO heavy lifter.