Last shuttle has launched ...

**DiscoStu** · 8 July 2011, 15:52

Maybe DimPrawn could buy one and keep it flying.

**sasguru** · 8 July 2011, 15:56

He'd probably prefer to park it in an allotment in Hackney Marshes so he can claim to finally have a London pad.

**DiscoStu** · 8 July 2011, 15:58

He was eyeing up a parking space in Knightsbridge the other day. Hmm...

**TimberWolf** · 8 July 2011, 15:59

I'm happy if we (or rather the Yanks) can now concentrate on things further afield than near Earth orbit. The Moon for instance. And carry on where Kennedy left off.

**stek** · 8 July 2011, 16:05

Here's the Soviet version, as near to the Shuttle as the TU-144 was to Concorde. Was called 'Buran' - Russian for 'Blizzard'. One unmanned test flight but nobody died at least! Hangar catastrophe crushed it....

Aerospaceweb.org | Ask Us - Soviet Buran Space Shuttle

**sasguru** · 8 July 2011, 16:19

Originally posted by stek View Post

One unmanned test flight but nobody died at least!

Well to be fair it would have been difficult for anyone to have died on a single unmanned test flight.

**Cliphead** · 8 July 2011, 17:21

NASA hasn't had a manned mission out of low Earth orbit since 1972. Not going to happen anytime soon

**Zippy** · 8 July 2011, 17:24

Originally posted by sasguru View Post

... this makes me glum.

2/135 loss ratio, not bad for what was an experimental craft.

I'm sorry to see the shuttle go too (Experimental shuttle #1 was the Enterprise). We should have a farewell party or something.

**Cliphead** · 8 July 2011, 17:28

Originally posted by Zippy View Post

We should have a farewell party or something.

Good idea, on a safe touchdown.

All welcome to trash my place

Last shuttle has launched ...