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Space Sci-Fi

The Space Shuttle Returns 151

Posted by Zonk from the been-a-long-road dept.
An anonymous reader writes "NASA's Return to Flight site details the space shuttle's to return to active use. The Flash intensive site features details on the mission, the crew, and the shuttle itself. Additionally, the site features none other than Scott Bakula as Captain Archer on the bridge of the Enterprise (USS, not STS)."
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The Space Shuttle Returns More

The Space Shuttle Returns

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  • And this time (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:23AM (#12329464)
    It's looking for revenge. "Earth, you killed my brother... and now it's your turn to die!"

  • Bandwidth Sponsor (Score:5, Funny)

    by maotx ( 765127 ) <(moc.oohay) (ta) (xtoam)> on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:23AM (#12329465)
    Flash intensive site, a Scott Bakula video, and a front page Slashdot article.
    Well, I'm guessing that NASA got that bandwidth sponsorship afterall. [slashdot.org]
    Lets just hope we're not gonna see an article on Slashdot talking about another delay for launch due to limited funds.

  • Thaaaank you! (Score:4, Funny)

    by SamMichaels ( 213605 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:34AM (#12329546)
    The Flash intensive site features details on the mission, the crew, and the shuttle itself.

    I'm glad they spent $7,500 on an ultra-flash-intense site. Your tax dollars at work.
    • That 7,500 was probably their entire PR budget for the year.

      Their PR budget is abysmally low, and they usually don't know how to best use it.

      When was the last time you saw a TV commercial about NASA?
      It's not that US government departments don't get PR budgets, it's that NASA isn't usually very effective with theirs.
      I can still remember when the US Mint was advertising the gold dollar coins... Lots of the public service ads on TV are paid for by various governmental agencies via some public organization..
      • When was the last time you saw a TV commercial about NASA?

        "Remember, folks: The next time you choose a space agency, choose NASA!

        "Don't forget, it's still Mars Madness Month. The blowout deals end April 30! Hurry!"

        I can still remember when the US Mint was advertising the gold dollar coins...

        Are you sure that was the actual US Mint? There seem to be a lot "Mints" out there these days.

        • http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/golden_dollar _ coin/index.cfm?action=Pr8 [usmint.gov]

          "Beginning in March, the Mint will launch a six-month nationwide television, radio, print, transit and Internet advertising campaign to promote public and business-sector awareness and use of the Golden Dollar."

          Anyway...

          If the US Mint can spend money saying "Hey look, we came up with another coin! Ummm, support our money?", then NASA really should spend money to say "Hey look, we invented pacemakers, and a ton of other amazing
          • Ok, you mean *Golden* dollars. That's true, they probably had to put out ads to avoid riots by the reactionary US money-using public. I thought you were talking about those ads for "Gold Dollar" coins issued by organizations like "Billy Bob's Mint".

            At any rate, NASA has an entire cable channel of its own. They're not skimping on the TV coverage, it's like a full-time infomercial.

            • Re:Thaaaank you! (Score:3, Insightful)

              by Mondoz ( 672060 )
              Yep. I figured that's what you thought I meant.

              It's true, they do have the NASA channel, but it's boring as hell. I love space, and even I can't watch it for very long. Half the air time is 'out the window views', which is more of a TV screen saver than an actual program.

              I'd really like to see them hire a professional Hollywood TV company to produce their material. Make it more interesting, more engaging, and more accessable to Joe Public.
              Some people still think MIR is in orbit. My grandmother thinks

      • Re:Thaaaank you! (Score:3, Interesting)

        by jarich ( 733129 )
        Their PR budget is abysmally low, and they usually don't know how to best use it.

        I'd bet that astronaut blogs would be very popular ~and~ cheap.

        • Re:Thaaaank you! (Score:3, Interesting)

          by Mondoz ( 672060 )
          There's actually something of this around already.
          Some of the stations crew logs are available for public viewing on the web.
          These are pretty interesting accounts of the daily life of an on-orbit station crew.

          Here's a link to Expedition 1's (the first crew of ISS) page, with a link there for the Ship's Logs. Not all the Expeditions have one, but some do.
          Some are rather interesting.
          http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp1/ [nasa.gov]

          Meanwhile, the life of an astronaut prior to flight is training, training, tr
    • I'm guessing this was done for free by a high school or college intern.

  • Oh sure, for now. (Score:4, Funny)

    by lheal ( 86013 ) <lheal1999@yah[ ]com ['oo.' in gap]> on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:36AM (#12329553) Journal
    Until Paramount cancels the program.

    Can we do something? Maybe if we all pledge money now, they won't cancel the shuttle after this season.
  • It's look like that's flash enabled sites that I see on www.shockwave.com
  • Fade up on shots of Shuttle launches as theme song begins to play (to the tune of "Faith of the Heart" by Diane Warren, the theme song for Star Trek: Enterprise.)

    It's been a long time
    Since the last shuttle flight
    There've been some changes
    And a hell of a lot of gripes
    But I can see the ship on the gantry now;
    Nothing's in our way!
    And they're not gonna hold at T-minus-10
    We won't miss our window today!

    'Cause I've got faith in Discovery!
    I'm goin' where the SRBs take me!
    I've got faith in Atlantis!
    If we break down she'll come an' get me!
    I've got faith in George Bush!
    And on the budget funds he'll send me
    I'll go all the way to Mars...!
    'Cause I've got faith (I've got faith)
    I've got faith in these shuttles of ours!

    Cut to Scott Bakula in elaborate Mission Control set:
    "Hi! I'm Scott Bakula! You might remember me from such cancelled sci-fi shows as Star Trek: Enterprise and Quantum Leap..."

  • Gotta do a Quantum Leap joke.. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Kaisum ( 850834 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:39AM (#12329579)
    "Al, why haven't I leaped yet?"
    "Ziggy says you can't leap until the site gets one million visitors"
    • "Al, why haven't I leaped yet?"
      "Ziggy says--DEADBEEF?"
      "Great, does that mean I can leap now?"
      "Umm...nope."
      "Wait--did you install Windows on Ziggy again?"
      "Umm...yes. Sorry Al."
      "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

  • Using there budget wisely? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Andy Mitchell ( 780458 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:40AM (#12329592) Homepage

    Having saved a few cents on O rings here, a few cents on insulating foam there and another few cents on leading wing edges they can now afford to hire the best web artists and B list TV stars to build a really cool website. ;-)

    Seriously speaking, I'm all for NASA communicating what they are doing but I prefer there older sites which have been more content driven and highly functional rather than "flashy".

    • Re:Using there budget wisely? (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      ...I prefer there older sites which have been more content driven and highly functional rather than "flashy".

      The majority of people require "flashy" websites to capture their short attention spans. I once maintained the website of a research lab and was fired because I didn't put in fancy flash, shockwave, java, animated gif animations, popups, and annoying... ahem, "exciting" sounds and music.

      My web design style is minimalistic-- people should be able to obtain the same (quick loading, simple to navigat

  • "Star Trek" tie-in? (Score:3, Funny)

    by AtariAmarok ( 451306 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:49AM (#12329662)
    Just what we need, another generation inspired to become astronauts because it means "we can have sex with green women in bikinis".
    • I'd heard worse career advice. Usually from guidance counselers.

      Doesn't it seem odd to accept career advice from someone whose job is to give career advice to high school students? Of course, at my high school, one of my friends told the guidance counseler that he wanted to be a beach philosopher. (You know, sit on the beach, play bongo drums, occassional say pot-inspired wisdom. Not a bad job if you can get it.)

      Besides, there are worse reasons to go into space. And for those, we have President Bush.

      Kier
      • Doesn't it seem odd to accept career advice from someone whose job is to give career advice

        You gotta do what you gotta do.
      • Of course, at my high school, one of my friends told the guidance counseler that he wanted to be a beach philosopher. (You know, sit on the beach, play bongo drums, occassional say pot-inspired wisdom. Not a bad job if you can get it.)

        From one of his popular books, or Nova episodes, or something:

        Average Person, not recognizing to whom he's speaking: "Excuse me, sir, but why do you have Feynman diagrams drawn on the side of your VW Microbus?"

        RF: "Why not? I'm Richard Feynman."
    • I think you're supposed to remove the bikinis before the sex.

  • Exactly how many tax dollars did I pay for this? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by windowpain ( 211052 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:57AM (#12329722) Journal
    I love it when a government agency spends money on self-promoting hype rather than something substantial.
    • PR is absolutely mission critical work for NASA.

      If they lose public support, they lose funding, it's as simple as that.

      If this web package was purchased for even as much as 1 million dollars, it was money well spent, possibly one of the most important line items in their budget.

      Using Scott Bakula, while of debatable wisdom to those of us who hated Enterprise, shows astounding good sense on the part of someone at NASA. We can debate about whether Shatner or Stewart would have been better, but at least th
      • To your Disclaimer, they Are... Every single CEV design has a capsule based reentry.

        http://exploration.nasa.gov/documents/cer_report s. html

      • disclaimer: I think the shuttle should be scrapped and we then return to capsule based launches which were cheaper and safer even with 60's technology.

        Translation: I believe we should return to craft that seem cheaper and seem safer.

        Real world:

        • Pound for pound, none of the 60's launch systems were significantly cheaper than the Shuttle.
        • None of the 60's spacecraft flew enough times to make any statistically valid judgement as to their safety. Reading any decent history of manned spaceflight shows numerou
        • * Pound for pound, none of the 60's launch systems were significantly cheaper than the Shuttle.
          * None of the 60's spacecraft flew enough times to make any statistically valid judgement as to their safety. Reading any decent history of manned spaceflight shows numerous problems and close calls on both sides of the Curtain.

          Erm... Soyuz?
          • Better check your facts. Soyuz isn't the wonderfully safe rollercoaster ride. In fact, it was Soyuz that had three astronauts come in from MIR with a typically perfect landing only to find all three of them dead from asphyxiation more or less immediately upon separation from MIR.

            Soyuz only seems safer, when in reality, the two are about even. It is true that when you factor in total deaths on Spache Shuttles you come up with a larger number. Soyuz crew: 3, Space Shuttle crew: 7. Crash for crash, bodie

    • I wouldn't call it self-promoting hype, I would call it assurance of continued funding. See, they are a government agency, which is funded by the US taxpayers. And as such, believe it or not, the taxpayers could decided to stop funding it. So any good agency that wants to keep their funding must ensure their funders know what sort of good stuff (tm) they are getting for their money.

      In other words, NASA isn't assured anything, and it is vital for them to keep their PR efforts front and center to assure thei
    • Well, they're flying a white elephant anyway, so what's an additional couple million?

    • Re:Exactly how many tax dollars did I pay for this (Score:4, Insightful)

      by pavon ( 30274 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @01:24PM (#12330429)
      Yes, I hate it when our government institutes created to advance science in our country try to inspire the next generation. I hate it when they present science and technology in a manner that captures the imagination of the public. Don't they know the place of science in this country - they should just stay in their cubicles out of the public eye where they belong.

  • Entertainment Rocks! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by icepick72 ( 834363 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @11:58AM (#12329725)
    Scott Bakula, an entertainment figure, on behalf of the NASA marketing dept. hyping the shuttle program to the entertainment-starved masses (rhetoric).
    And Arnold would become the gov. of California, and Jesse "The Body" Ventura of Minnesota.
    It's interesting what life starts to look like from a country that is inundated with entertainment.
    ... What's next on this list?
    Does Nasa *really* need the support of the masses who sit in front of their weekly TV shows? or do they already have it? Should the NASA crew members not be making the cameo apperances since they are the *real* "heroes"? Scott Bakula is an actor who will never step into space. If it comes down to entertainment factor, might as well use Mickey Mouse as a spokesman (cool factor ruled out :).
    • And Arnold would become the gov. of California, and Jesse "The Body" Ventura of Minnesota.
      ...and Ronald Reagan would become the President! Oh, wait...

      This sucks, but it isn't new. Hell, Roman politicians won support based on how many gladiatorial games they could afford to show.

    • Re:Entertainment Rocks! (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Dan Up Baby ( 878587 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @01:13PM (#12330341) Homepage
      Of course they need the support of the masses, they foot the bill!

      More than anything else Nasa needs the public to be excited by space like they were in the 60's. If it takes Scott Bakula to do that, then so be it. Obviously I'd prefer the public to fall in love with the actual astronauts again, but that's not going to work when they're this deep into a rut. If they can build some excitement with b-list celebrities and--more importantly--high-profile missions, then they can use astronauts to publicize themselves.
    • So. Bakula will never get into Outer Space eh? hahahaha If Bakula and the rest of the Screen Actors Guild members decide to ante up $1.6 million, you'd be surprised how fast they (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Checkov, Gil Gerard & Erin Gray) could get there... AHEAD OF THE SHUTTLE... http://www.newpath4.com/forsalespacecraftenginecon stantpowertheory.htm [newpath4.com] . All S.A.G. need do is hire the Space-X people to design my craft. I've already got the engine AND the design for the craft to utilize it. And whi

  • The Space Shuttle Returns (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Isn't that a bit presumptuous?
  • A postage stamp sized video that takes 100% of a 3ghz machine to play.

    Well done NASA, you guys rock.

  • How do we know... (Score:4, Funny)

    by SirBruce ( 679714 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @12:09PM (#12329817) Homepage
    How do we know it's not the Scott Bakula's evil Mirror Universe twin?!?

    Bruce

  • Don't like the Flash? (Score:5, Informative)

    by Furmy ( 854336 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @12:13PM (#12329839)
    Non-Flash Version [nasa.gov] Text Only Version [nasa.gov]

  • This is sad... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Karna99 ( 784157 )
    Why not have an actual NASA person do the intro? It's a pretty sad joke when you need the Captain of a failed fictional show to generate hype about the return to space for manned missions. Cause you know an actor is far more qualified than a Rocket Scientist to tell you about the importance of the Space Shuttle in the endeavor of space exploration. What ass-clown in NASA PR team is responsible for this? It's revolting that NASA needs to resort to Flash-porn and hype. Damn you unwashed masses!

  • Dr. McCoy would have been better (Score:3, Funny)

    by NardofDoom ( 821951 ) on Sunday April 24, 2005 @01:01PM (#12330250)
    "The shuttle program, it's dead Jim."

    "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not an aerospace engineer!"

  • Spokeman (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    What better spokeman for NASA than the captain from a scifi show that was canceled for lack of funding and public support.

    Seems all too familiar...
  • bullshit, slashdot said the shuttle would die forever like 2 weeks ago, and now its in its glorious return,what next?
  • More palatable for the vast non-geek audience out there... most people don't like to read reams of text to have an idea of what the next mision of Nasa is about...

    Budgetwise I don't beleive a flash site is going to break the bank...

    My $0.02

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