Space: The final frontier...

As Boomers we've lived through all of the "Space Age."

While few of us were paying much attention in 1958, when President Eise­n­hower signed the Space Act, officially creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, I am sure you remember where you were when man first walked on the moon (July 20, 1969), and back even earlier, to when JFK announced we would get to the moon in our lifetimes.

Who could forget the changes that happened in American schools after Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, in 1961. (Of course, he was followed shortly by American Alan Shepard, who became the second man in space -- for 15 minutes.

We were there when John Glenn followed in Gagarin's globe-circling footsteps in 1962 and when we (the US)succeeded in its own first: putting a man on the moon.

So how do you feel about also being present for the end of the shuttle era? It happened before dawn this morning when Altantis returned safely.

Here's a link to an article about today's events: Atlantis Returns, Shuttle Era Ends

I'm sure it's not the end of Americans in space. But I'm sad that we don't have something else already in place to keep us moving forward.

After all, just think about what the space race has meant for everyday people. All of the everyday-use products that have come out of those technological efforts. And it's more than just freeze-dried food. Let's see, these everyday use products include:

* Invisible braces
* Scratch-resistant lenses
* Memory foam
* Ear thermometers
* Shoe insoles
* Not to mention all those telecommunications advances

Here's a link to an article that talks more about the many products we use daily that evolved from the space age... NASA Inventions

Your thoughts?

I appreciate the side discoveries as a result of the space programs...worldwide.

I think there is something else, Anne that is moving us forward...it is all the inventions that spawned from the Internet and ways to connect each other virtually.

I just wonder if cancelling he space programs is a good idea? It seems to me there is so much more to learn like spsce travel etc.

I'm saddened by the end of the space program era; but, with each
shuttle flight costing about $l.5 billion, it's money this country doesn't have right now. I pray we can get the national budget under control and operating in the black, then restart
space exploration!

Money. It's all about money. IMHO the gov't should cut back on
unappreciated entitlement programs. People work their whole lives to achieve accomplishments they're proud of; others freely receive gov't subsidies, feeling society owes 'em because of some self-inflicted addictions. And these giveaways come out of our taxes.

I've decided against belaboring this angle of argument. It doesn't help anybody!