Nedko

It has beaten many world records including the fastest, loudest, The Space Shuttle – the most sophisticated piece of machinery ever built by man. Although for almost everybody the space shuttle or also known as by it’s official name Space Transportation System (STS) needs no introduction we can briefly describe the most notable facts about it.

The Space Shuttle is used by the US government for human spaceflight missions and is designed with the goal to carry astronaut and load such as satellites and modules to the International Space Station. It was first launched on April 12, 1981 and is still in use to present day. Originally six shuttles were built but as the Enterprise was not designed for flight only five were deemed spaceworthy. As Challenger and Columbia were destroyed in takeoff and reentry disasters only 3 currently remain: Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. More information about the space shuttle and it’s structure you can find here.

Apart from being just a vehicle the shuttle program is a medium in establishing world peace and cooperation.Long gone are the days when space was considered solely expressions of patriotism and competition in the arms race in the Cold War. The shuttle is the main vehicle for transporting modules and equipment from and to the space station. Today the International Space Station (ISS) is the biggest space laboratory known to man and hosts technology and personnel from all over the world. And with STS 120 a new record is set – for the first time in history of space exploration two women are in charge of two spacecrafts at the same time as Pamela Melroy is calling the shots on Discovery and ISS commander Peggy Whitson.

But as high tech as it is some of the design and technology used for the original construction is aged and obsolete and therefore often compared to an old car. Due to safety concerns and a way to provide a honorable retreat for the shuttle NASA has decided to move on. Unfortunately the time and resources needed to maintain and keep up to date with technology are overwhelming and the point was reached to where it’s not worth it. While NASA has announced the retiring of the Shuttle program in 2010 which will be replaced by 2014 by Orion a new age in space exploration is marked. Partly with pride and honor and partly with sadness humanity gets ready for a shift. Not simply a shift of technology but a shift of evolution and creativity of mankind. To honor those who believed, those who dedicated their life and those who lost it I would consider attending a space shuttle launch as one of my top 10 on the TO DO list.

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General by Nedko