What's Next For NASA?

The shuttle program officially ended this morning around 6am EDT as Atlantis safely landed back on Earth at Kennedy Space Center. Many people seem to think that the end of the shuttle missions means the end of NASA. This is by no means true! Just because we aren't sending astronauts into space doesn't mean our space program is shutting down! NASA is hard at work developing new technology for future manned space missions, and is planning many robotic missions for the near future. Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra are still operational and providing astronomers with gorgeous views of space objects. As long as funding continues, JWST will be launched in the upcoming years giving astronomers huge amounts of data to work with. So much is left to be learned about our own solar system and NASA is working on many orbiters, landers, and rovers will be launched to planets and moons in our solar system.

It's sad to see the shuttle program go, but we can still do great science without sending man into space. In fact it's often easier and more beneficial to send a satellite or robot rather than a person into outer space. To learn more about what's next for NASA, check out this excellent article: http://www.nasa.gov/about/whats_next.html

Final Shuttle Launch

 

At 11:28 am eastern time, the final space shuttle, Atlantis, took of from Kennedy Space center in Florida. The image above was taken just after liftoff. NASA broadcasted the launch live on their website, and you could see thousands of people watching. I've had the pleasure of watching a shuttle or two launch from the beaches of the space coast, and let me tell you it's a spectacular sight. Sadly, the space shuttle program ended today, mostly due to lack of funding from the government.

The first space shuttle, Columbia, launched in April of 1981, and a total of 134 space shuttle missions have occurred since then. The purpose of many shuttle missions was to construct the international space station (ISS), bring the ISS supplies, transport people to and from the ISS, and service telescopes and other equipment in space. Other countries will continue to have manned shuttle missions to the ISS and elsewhere. There's even a chance that private businesses will fund or conduct shuttle missions of their own here in the US! But unless something tragic happens at the ISS, NASA's shuttle program will stay dormant. Hopefully funding will be renewed in the near future and we will again be able to send astronauts into space!

Image credit: NASA TV