NASA's hypersonic jet test successful

[Dizel8]

Training astronauts in the Beechcraft would not accomplish much, after all, the Beech is rather limited in perfomance and aerobatics IIRC. As far as the astronauts arriving in FL from all over the country, well, I suppose that is pretty wise, since they live all over the country and it affords them a bit more flexibility, not to mention, that they often fly around doing speeches, visiting facilities and doing training.

Before bad things happened, sadly, to the shuttle, there were four, so considering maintenance, not sure having 3 74's is overkill. No, I doubt any 74 has given two separates shuttles a ride in one day, but considering the complexity of loading/offloading, since the shuttle is rather "fragile", that is perhaps quite understandable.

If you look beyond the big stuff that makes the news, NASA invents, discovers and research amazing stuff every day. You would be quite surprised in the breadth and scope of NASA research. You may not even realize it, but things you take for granted and use every day, came to be, because of NASA.

Look beyond manned space flights and astronauts. NASA rented the russian Tu-144 to research large transport supersonic aircrafts. They are involved in fattigue research, cockpit design, structural integrity, often they assist the ATSB. They assist Boeing, Lockheed and the "new" Wright Flyer etc. with data and research. The list is endless.

So saying that NASA is "sitting on it", can hardly be considered justified.

Just for info, NASA has a budget of 16 Billion dollars, DOT is 50 B, DOD is 400 B, HHS is 540 B. With a total budget of 1.8 trillion dollars, it does becomes rather obvious, that NASA gets a "mere" pittance. Heck, truth be told, the war in Iraq, will probably cost us more.


Besides......................

 

[CrewDawg]

The fact that there is not a pilot in this aircraft just doesn't do it for me. If there were a pilot I think people would be more excited about it.

 

[countbat]

Three months ago I remember to have read in an european aviation magazine about **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** russians coming within 10 years (by the year 2013)with a 1000 (one thousand)-pax plane able to fly Moscow-New York in 25 minutes. I don't know if anyone will be willing to take the chance of being a passenger in something like that but the thought of it has impressed me.

 

[DAS at 10/250]

we would have no NASA and would never have gone to the moon.

For those of you who actually believe that we went to the Moon.

 

[NJA Capt]

I hope you know this is all in fun....

...the Beech is rather limited in perfomance and aerobatics IIRC.

Dude, The Space Shuttle is limited performance. And Aerobatic? Not! Of course an T-38 and the SS probably have the same glide ratio.
And I have no idea what IIRC is.

As far as the astronauts arriving in FL from all over the country, well, I suppose that is pretty wise, since they live all over the country and it affords them a bit more flexibility, not to mention, that they often fly around doing speeches, visiting facilities and doing training.

Seems a few of them got spanked for hotdogging around airliners a few years ago too. Commuting with a T-38? Must be nice.

...not sure having 3 74's is overkill.

3 747s to carry 1 Shuttle per year is not overkill???
That's like Deer hunting with a Bazooka.


I'm really proud of NASA for my Velcro, Tang, and the microwave, but I don't think they came from the hypersonic tests of the '60s. Did the dog eat their homework?

They assisted ...the "new" Wright Flyer etc. with data and research.

Hypersonic? No.......Dead Horse? Yes

 

[Dizel8]

IIRC= If I recall correctly.

"Commuting with a T-38? Must be nice." Sorry, but that just sounds like envy to me! We are talking about astronauts, who strap their booties to tons of TNT of a goverment salary less than 100K. The "perk" of travelling in a trainer jet sounds quite reasonable to me. Particularily, when one considers the sacrifice these people have to make, to potentially get a chance to go into space.

As far as the rest, I think NASA does amazing stuff with very little funding. Considering how much have to go exactly right, it is amazing that so relatively little go wrong.

I have always had a soft spot for NASA, perhaps it is the idealist and the adventurer in me.

Let's respectfully agree to disagree.