Originally Posted By DDMAN26 I remember watching the launch in school. There's always something so cool and moving about seeing the Space Shuttle going up in the air. Unfortunately twenty years ago, tragedy struck when the Challenger blew up on take off. It seemed to be a blow to NASA from which I don't think they've ever recovered. We also had the Columbia tragedy a few years ago. My question is can NASA ever get back to the "glory years" it went through back in the 60's and 70's?
Originally Posted By cmpaley I remember the Challenger explosion. Very major trajedy. Not unless we're willing to spend the kinds of money that was invested in NASA in the 1960's.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss The glory years were mostly a product of our desire to "beat the Russians." The exploration and discovery were by-products of the space race, not the main goal. If and when man decides to go to Mars, then there will be something to feel good about. The International Space Station, while it will probably play a key role in a Mars mission, just isn't that exciting to the general public, in my opinion.
