Talk:Space Shuttle program

Errors/Issues

How long is the program? The link to this page says 33 years. The first line if the article says 1981 to 2011 (30 years). Two paragraphs later, the article states the program started in the 1960s (50+ years). Please pick one program length and stick twith it.

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The link for reference number 3

Brooks, Dawn The Names of the Space Shuttle Orbiters. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Accessed July 26, 2006.

is no longer functional: [1] . Could someone fix the link or remove the reference? Njerseyguy (talk) 22:47, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

The data here is inconsistent with other data. For instance: The longest shuttle mission is attributed to Columbia in 1996 (according to this page and the STS80 page) however, the Columbia was destroyed in 1986. As such, the data in this article needs be verified by someone very knowledgable to ensure that the data is accurate in this and related articles. 199.244.214.30 13:10, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

The data is correct. The "longest mission" statement is verbatim from NASA: [2]. You're mistaken, Columbia was not destroyed in 1986. Joema 13:36, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

Correct. Columbia was destroyed in 2003. Challenger was destroyed in 1986. SchuminWeb (Talk) 04:29, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

The { { shuttle_stats } } table has an incorrect date for the first launch. The first launch was April 12, 1981. The table lists "Apr 13". The source of the data of the table is someplace separate from the article and I cannot find where to edit it. Can someone who does know please fix it? --Charles Oppermann (talk) 13:35, 25 June 2009 (UTC)

Shuttle user box

{{Template:User space shuttle}}

This user is a Space Shuttle fan.

Current Event Tags

Is the 72-hour tab "valid"? By that, do you mean, "accurate"? Of course it is. But the article is about the space shuttle program, not about the December 2006 mission. This tag is absolutely unnecessary, it adds nothing of value to the article, and contributes to tag litter.

By this logic, there should be a current events tag on George W. Bush, since "details may change rapidly as events progress". And hey, Christmas is just around the corner. The article on Christmas has a section on the "Economics of Christmas". Now this year's shopping season may progress in different ways than expected. Should there therefore be a "Current Events" tag on the article on Christmas?

No, Wikipedia is not a paper encyclopedia (thank goodness), and we can update it at will. But neither is it a newspaper. Even if something does get updated during this launch, it does not necessitate this tag. Suppose we learn something new about the shuttle program during the launch. Then update it. But there is no reason to suppose that this article is going to change in any substantive, unexpected way over the course of this next mission. Unschool 22:40, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Note, this issue is being discussed at Talk:Space Shuttle --GW_Simulations_{User Page | Talk} 23:16, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Merger

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The proposal was withdrawn by nominator

Strong oppose per earlier discussion --GW_Simulations_{User Page | Talk} 22:58, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

• Oppose per GW Simulations. I do see other Shuttle-related article shuffling that needs to be done, but this isn't it. SchuminWeb (Talk) 23:02, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

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Unschool has removed his nomination (see Space Shuttle), so I am closing the discussion. --GW_Simulations_{User Page | Talk} 23:19, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Reusable Spacecraft

The second paragraph says "The Shuttle is the only winged manned spacecraft to achieve orbit and land, and the only reusable space vehicle that has ever made multiple flights into orbit." I'm not sure if this is in error or not, SpaceShip One acheived orbit twice within 2 weeks. I leave it to someone who knows for sure.

SpaceShipOne was only capable for sub-orbital flights. Not ones that go into orbit around the Earth. Andy120290 21:09, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

Buran?

At the top of the article it says:

"This article is about the NASA Space Shuttle program. For the shuttle itself, see Space Shuttle. For information on the Soviet space shuttle program, see the article Buran program"

Why does it have statistics about the Buran in the same chart as the Enterprise? Jons63 19:25, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

Good point. That needs to get changed. I would put Enterprise in with the other shuttles, and delete Buran from this article. Thoughts? SchuminWeb (Talk) 03:07, 9 August 2007 (UTC)

Buran was nothing more than a publicity stunt - to mention it is an insult to Shuttle. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.158.61.139 (talk) 17:37, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

shuttle extension study

AFAIK there's more discussing on extending the shuttle programme beyond 2010, that's what I figured watching a press conference (on air during writing - maybe recorded?) about the upcoming shuttle flight (STS-126). check this: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/10/shuttle-extension-white-paper/, http://www.space.com/news/080829-nasa-shuttle-extension.html, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2008-09-23-obama-nasa-shuttle_N.htm --62.214.194.122 (talk) 16:31, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Shuttle budget

How did you get those 60 M$ incremental costs ? Looks like a '0' is missing at the end ... Just External Tank would be 50 M$ (http://aeromaster.tripod.com/paper1.htm) then SSME refurbishing, SRB retrieval and refurbishing, tiles, operational costs of infrastructure and so on. 60 M$ just for a fuel ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.10.9.141 (talk) 08:58, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

Operational cost estimate is about $5 000 000 000 per year. http://www.comspacewatch.com/news/viewnews.rss.html?id=1342 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.10.9.141 (talk) 07:41, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Flight Statistics

According to the current Table of Flight Statistics on this page (as at 3 Sept 2009) Atlantis (270+ days) has been on orbit approximately 4 days more than Endeavour (266+ days). In terms of the number of orbits, the difference between the two shuttles is 390 orbits (in favor of Atlantis). My question is: Normally a shuttle takes about 90 minutes to make a single orbit and that makes 16 orbits per single day. Hence, would not the difference should be 16*4 ~ 64 orbits? instead of 390 ?. Can some one please explain the big disparity between the days and the orbits of the two shuttles ?

152.226.7.204 (talk) 00:07, 7 September 2009 (UTC)

Space Transportation System

The article entitled "Space Transportation System" is unfortunately inaccurate and reads like an unsubstantiated essay.

That article is not supported by the references. In addition, straight from the horse's mouth, which would be NASA's Kennedy space center, the Space Trasnportation System (STS) is as follows:

"NASA coordinates and manages the Space Transportation System (NASA's name for the overall Shuttle program), including intergovernmental agency requirements and international and joint projects. NASA also oversees the launch and space flight requirements for civilian and commercial use.."

There is nothing about the international space station that is part of this program. That is apparently another program. Nor is there anything about how the "Space Race wound down and the Vietnam War began to take precedence in the minds of U.S. citizens"... that part of the article reads like an usubstantiated essay.

The reference discusses the space shuttle system, comprised of four elements, which makes up at least part of the STS. Then Space shuttle requirements are discussed, then background and status, etc., etc. Some hunting around through these links gets in to some fine detail, but it is still all about the shuttle. This is all related to the Space shuttle, and unfortunately it is probably indistinguishable from the articles entitled "Space Shuttle" and Space Shuttle program".

I apologize but based on this, I am making that page a redirect to the article entitled "Space Shuttle program"----Steve Quinn (formerly Ti-30X) (talk) 03:05, 7 June 2010 (UTC)

Hubble?

The article says "NASA originally planned to make the Hubble a Smithsonian museum display, but decided to keep it in space until a successor is launched." Was there a plan to bring the Hubble Telescope back to Earth on the Shuttle? Can it do that? Also, the two links that are references at the end of the sentence don't say anything about Hubble. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 19:55, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

STS-144. The reason the retrieval mission did not go ahead was probably due to payload bay space, the fourth servicing mission, and ISS mission needs. Columbia was the only orbiter to still have its internal airlock to be able to carry payloads Hubble-size (that is why she deployed Chandra even though Chandra's mass warranted Endeavour or Atlantis). When STS-118 was allocated to Columbia (her next flight after -107), that meant the internal airlock had to come out to install the ODS, which meant that Hubble retrieval was not possible due to payload bay space. Then the fourth servicing mission went ahead instead of retrieval. -MBK₀₀₄ 05:53, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

OK, I understand now. I was wondering if it was possible to bring Hubble back down, then it would have been better to bring it down, fix the mirror on the ground, and put it back up. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 14:57, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

Why does the retirement section talk about the Hubble? Someone was copying and pasting without reading maybe? :) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.15.229 (talk) 05:30, 30 June 2011 (UTC)

Wreck it

I should have done this before.... I propose moving the Columbia & Challenger pages from "disaster" to "accident". Comment here. Thx. TREKphiler ^{any time you're ready, Uhura} 08:47, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

Support. Arjuna (talk)

Space Shuttle program (5 votes, stays until August 12, 2011) is the US collaboration for August 2011

Nominated 02:27, 13 July 2011 (UTC); needs 3 votes by August 12, 2011 (minimum 3 votes per month)

Support:

1. Oldiesmann (talk) 02:27, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
2. Tomwsulcer (talk) 17:21, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
3. JayJasper (talk) 20:17, 14 July 2011 (UTC)
4. RightCowLeftCoast (talk) 20:51, 14 July 2011 (UTC)
5. (Iuio (talk) 04:29, 21 July 2011 (UTC))
6. Dusty777 (talk) 22:43, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Comments:

• With the shuttle program coming to an end, there's a lot that could be done with this article (details about the final missions and where the shuttles will go, future of the space program, etc.) Oldiesmann (talk) 02:27, 13 July 2011 (UTC)

• Agree, good choice.--Tomwsulcer (talk) 17:21, 13 July 2011 (UTC)
• Could also be good if folks from Wikipedia:WikiProject Astronomy got involved too. Casliber (talk · contribs) 19:16, 13 July 2011 (UTC)

• Given the historic nature of the United States having for the first time since it sent Freedom 7 into space, not having an active manned space program; with some critics saying it means that the Russians (the successor, therefore continuing in a way the lineage, of the Soviet space program) ultimately won the Space Race, this would make a great article to work on. Furthermore, it is less partisan than say working on the Democrat(ic) Party article. --RightCowLeftCoast (talk) 20:51, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

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Game plan

First job would be to look at comprehensiveness - is this article missing anything? Casliber (talk · contribs) 11:36, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Yes, it should have more detail about the actual program. Compare with the featured article Shuttle–Mir Program - that article is dominated by a "Timeline" section; I would think this article should have a similar structure. Details of the timeline are currently split between the "Program history" section, and the "Status" section; with most technicalities relegated to the List of space shuttle missions (which is unsatisfactory). So perhaps the way forward, seeing as the program is over, is to merge the two sections "Program history" and "Status" into a unified "Timeline" section, which could then be further organized and expanded. Mlm42 (talk) 20:44, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Is anything actually being done on this article? Oldiesmann (talk) 17:45, 24 August 2011 (UTC)