herman999999999
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Despite its flaws, the Space Shuttle was truly ahead of its time.
Feb 11, 2015 2:42 AM
herman999999999
425
67
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TheQuack
The SR-71 was ahead of its time. The Space Shuttle was a political compromise.
Cavy
Shhh, don't tell anyone but, the military still has one up there.
ItsTime4it
The shuttle served its purpose. It also kept us in low Earth orbit for far too long.
sweatycooch
Congress kept us in LEO for too long
cosinewave
I think the shuttle was great but we were supposed to have been going to Mars by the 80's.
loshea
I remember in the 80s when everyone was saying that by 2000 we'd have flying cars and no one would be using paper for anything.
casou87
In the flight simulator 'X-Plane' you can simulate every part of the Shuttle descent and landing.
casou87
descent initiation, and early phases is basically impossible, IMO, though, and in reality is computer controlled
IRideUnicornsNakedInPublic
Am I the only one kinda wondering how this picture was created? (even if it's PS, the detail is AMAZING!)
thisIsTheShortestUsernameEverCreatedInTheHistoryOfTheEarth
I believe it is a photo from the ISS or some other platform in LEO
sweatycooch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBFMNVfmsEU It's so that people on the ISS can search for tile damage.
IRideUnicornsNakedInPublic
That's incredible!!
Jitaki
It really was. The longer it spent orbiting the Earth, the farther ahead of it's time it was. Think about it.
tdc1027
Nice
AlliterationAlert
Not actually, because since spacetime bends around gravity, the objects nearer to Earth are younger.
Hippolytus
so the shuttle is older, thus ahead "earth time"?
AlliterationAlert
Yea
tdc1027
Velocity
sweatycooch
A bird like no other, I sincerely hope future space vessels will be named after the five shuttles.
KacerRex
Lets not name one after Challenger, k?
sweatycooch
Absolutely name one after Challenger! It's a great name, and many other vessels carried it before her. It would be disrespectful not to.
tdc1027
6
sweatycooch
Just five were actual flight articles, I don't count Enterprise.