space shuttle, space: space shuttle launch on beautiful

Space Shuttle Launch On Beautiful Florida Day

I never get tired of watching the Space Shuttle blast off from the

Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Every time I watch those fantastic

flying machines head into space, it rejuvenates my feelings about life

in general. For a man with an average education, I am amazed at the

sheer brain power that it takes to not only develop a spaceship and

blast it into space, but also the technology that is involved to get

that same ship back safely down to Earth. On two different occasions

we have all witnessed mistakes that cost the lives of brave space

shuttle astronauts. Even with the danger, I would go up into space if

ever given the opportunity. To me, nothing would be more exciting that

to be in space to witness all the glory of the Earth from 100 miles

above.

Today's launch of the Space Shuttle appeared to go off without a hitch

and that is good news. I am concerned that most of the shuttles in

NASA's fleet are over 20 years old. Yes, over those 20 years almost

everything on board has been replaced many times over, but the

actually ships are very old. When I think about the age of the Space

Shuttles, I think about cars that are over 20 years old. Back then I

was driving a 1988 Cutlass Supreme which is most likely in a wrecking

yard today. The back of my mind tells me that even if I still owned

that 1988 Cutlass Supreme and even if I had replaced all the original

parts on it, some parts on that car would still be 20 years old.

Before the United States decided to join with Russia to build the

International Space Station, NASA intended to have the Space Shuttle

Program stopped by now. However, with all the supplies that are needed

to keep building that space station, NASA decided to continue flying

the Space Shuttle longer than it intended to do in the first place.

For that reason, I worry every time astronauts are strapped into the

Space Shuttle because I know their likely fate if something goes

wrong.

Today's space shuttle launch looked wonderful and to me it was just as

exciting to watch today's launch as the first one many years ago. The

United States was built by Maverick individuals that headed west with

little money or resources 200 years ago to build this great country.

Today, Space Shuttle Astronauts are the latest brand of American

explorers who have taken Maverick exploration to a whole new level of

both excitement and danger.

space shuttle, space