Shuttle landing delays thanks to 20th century technology

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 22 June 2007 15:20

Science - Space

More encouraging still is the emergence of the private sector in the space industry, from Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, Space Adventures and their space tourist service to the ISS and in the next few years, a trip around the moon, and the EADS space tourist program to ZeroG, the company that took Steven Hawkins on a zero gravity ride.

The space industry is only really just starting up, moving from government only programs to private enterprise getting into the space race too. No doubt public and private ventures will emerge in the future, as humanity – and our future robots – colonise the moon, Mars, asteroids and other planets, for mining and living.

But we’re still decades away from this being a reality. In 2007, rain, wind and clouds can be just as hazardous to a space shuttle as they are to humans, cars, boats and planes, with tiles, thermal blankets and more providing the protection to ensure the safe Shuttle launches and landings.

The future of modern spacecraft able to travel at warp speeds with anti-gravity engines, force shields for protection and everything else we’ve come to expect from sci-fi are still firmly stuck in the mind’s eye of science fiction writers.

But if things go right, they’ll certainly be in the future of our grandchildren, and theirs after that, with the work done so far the foundation of all that is to come.

So, as we express our frustration at how ‘primitive’ much of our space technology is compared to what the future will bring, we’re still in awe of what has been achieved so far.

Atlantis and crew, we wish you a safe and happy landing, and hope there are many more space launches, from all over the world, to come!