A Long Ride

The Space Shuttle program was initiated in 1972 on the downward slope of the space race. It was designed as a reusable system to lift the components of the International Space Station (ISS) into low-Earth orbit for assembly. It was used along the way for other purposes as well, but the shuttle has always been about building the ISS.

The NASA budget is abysmally tiny. NASA cannot support more than one major program at a time. And the ISS is complete...so now we have to say goodbye to the Space Shuttle. We knew it was coming for many years, but it's still a little sad.

Today the shuttle Atlantis, maybe the most complicated machine ever built by mankind, burned up into the blazing Florida sky headed towards the ISS. It's the 135th shuttle flight, the last in a series of amazing triumphs and terrible disasters.

The Space Shuttle was born to build the ISS and now that job is done.

I grew up with the Space Shuttle and I'm going to miss it.