Space Shuttle Update

Space Shuttle Atlantis suffered hail damage not long ago, and the left side of the shuttle is currently being touched-up.

Which is kind of a bummer for me, because now the Atlantis isn't expected to launch until late April.

If you follow this blog -- or follow what NASA is up to -- you know that this is an ambitious year for shuttle missions, as the shuttle program attempts to complete 5 crucial missions in order to ensure the International Space Station is completed by the time the shuttle program retires in 2010.

Now I don't know the logistics, but I'm guessing that this Atlantis mission getting postponed for a month and a half sort makes the 5-mission plan a little tight. I know they started getting ready for the mid-March launch back in late January, so even if they do launch in late April I'm guessing the scheduled late-June launch will be pushed back.

The possibility of which sucks!

I wanna see the ISS completed on time!!!

I mean, if NASA doesn't do it there's still always the possibilty that some corporation will step in and foot the bill... But that will come with strings attatched. :( I'd like to have at least one space station in orbit that is free of corporate influence.

Do I come off as jaded and cynical? lol

I mean, I LOOK FOREWARD TO the commericalization of space flight, because then we'll get a lot more space travel going on! AND (eventually) for competitive prices! Companies will be refining their techniques and machinery to bring their costs down so that they can bring their prices down so that they can crner the market. That's GOOD! That's healthy! Space travel will then FLOURISH!

But the ISS is supposed to be about SCIENCE, and I think the insanity going on with patenting genes and patenting diseases, and their diagnosis and their treatment, demonstrates that commerse and science have NO BUSINESS being together! They should be separated like rival siblings and SMACKED (HARD) whenever they get too close to each other!

But blah.

The point is, I don't know if indeed this rescheduling of the Atlantis launch will have any adverse effects on this years roster of ISS completion missions at all. (Hopefully NOT!!!) I just know that my sphincter is clenced in anticipation and I wait to see if the mission gets pushed back any more.

I mean, I don't want them to rush it, naturally. Our austronauts know the risks when they sign on, but I still don't want anything bad to happen to them! So NASA should -- as they do -- err on the side of safety. But at the same time I REALLY want all 5 of this year's scheduled missions to be successful.

So if you're the praying sort, please offer up a word for everyone working on this Atlantis mission.

PEACE!!! :D