Space Shuttle Endeavour Blasts Off On Final Flight 125
Velcroman1 writes "Space shuttle Endeavour rocketed into space Monday morning from Kennedy Space Center, led by mission commander Mark Kelly on the final mission for the youngest vehicle in the space fleet. Over 6 million pounds of thrust from the shuttle's rocket booster carried Endeavour into orbit, at speeds of up to 19,000 miles per hour, for an expected meeting with the International Space Station on Wednesday. 'It's incredible how you can see this machine hurled into space like the fastest fastball ever thrown, going to Mach 25 — 25 times the speed of sound — and it's an incredible race to orbit,' former NASA astronaut Tom Jones said. 'It's one of the greatest physical sensations an human can experience,' he added."
Re:Waste of taxpayer $$$ (Score:4, Insightful)
It's a drop in the ocean compared to the trillions being spent on wars and CEO bonuses^W^Windustry bailouts.
Re:First... (Score:2, Insightful)
You know what, if capitalism and greed weren't the norm, we could implement those ideas too. (except the BJ. But if you help me, I might help you...)
There really is enough material resources and labour to do those things, but at the moment they're feeding the top 1% of society instead of advancing technology. The space program hasn't evolved at all since the 80's, the zero-g science we were promised from the ISS has only just started, and we're all head-over-heels about two neverending wars that only happened due to Bush's family's greed.
The biggest problem for people like me is apathetic people like you, who lazily make sarcastic comments like this, preventing the masses from realising they CAN make a difference, and overthrowing those who shouldn't be in power, but are.
Re:First... (Score:4, Insightful)
Capitalism is not the enemy of progress. It is what creates the surpluses that make spending on progress possible. Nobody is going to spend money on a space elevator if they are worried about having enough food to make it through the winter.