"Space ... the fi -- " "Oooh -- hold on a sec Bill, we're not ready... "

Space Was the Space Shuttle programme a hopeless case? Maciej Ceglowski argues that it's a directionless endeavour which lacks that important exploratory factor. Which would make it worthwhile.

"This brings up a delicate point about justifying manned missions with science. In order to make any straight-faced claims about being cost effective, you have to cart an awful lot of science with you into orbit, which in turns means you need to make the experiments as easy to operate as possible. But if the experiments are all automated, you remove the rationale for sending a manned mission in the first place. Apart from question-begging experiments on the physiology of space flight, there is little you can do to resolve this dilemma. In essence, each 'pure science' Shuttle science mission consists of several dozen automated experiments alongside an enormous, irrelevant, repeated experiment in keeping a group of primates alive and healthy outside the atmosphere."

I absolutely see his point. What we're talking about is NASA's continuining mission to prove that man can exist in space. We've done that. But what's next? But something I've learnt myself these past few months is patience -- there's no point trying to jump into things unless you're ready. We just aren't ready yet. Isn't the human race boring?