Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-21-2011, 04:08 PM   #1
Lawrie
Senior Member
 
Lawrie's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Qld, Australia
Posts: 4,196
Default Feel proud

Guys, you should feel proud, last night we watched the last landing of the space shuttle,
What a great thing for your country to have done.
Well done.
Lawrie from Australia
Lawrie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2011, 04:38 PM   #2
Hoop
Senior Member
 
Hoop's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Jacksonville FL
Posts: 1,137
Default Re: Feel proud

Lawrie,

YOU are a great example of why so many Americans feel such a strong kinship with Australia.

Thank you from those of us who appreciate the support Australia provided in a challenge that required your good friendship.

Hoop
__________________
"Remember that when it comes to intelligence, half of all of us are below average."
Hoop is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 07-21-2011, 04:54 PM   #3
Old Redneck
Senior Member
 
Old Redneck's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Waynesburg,Pa.
Posts: 1,907
Send a message via AIM to Old Redneck Send a message via Yahoo to Old Redneck
Default Re: Feel proud

We are proud of you for the way you are. When I was over there I was treated very nice and felt proud that I was there to see that. We are more then brothers and thank you.
Old Redneck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2011, 05:29 PM   #4
Lawson Cox
Senior Member
 
Lawson Cox's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Above the gnat line in Georgia
Posts: 7,009
Default Re: Feel proud

I just hate to see the program come to an end.
Lawson Cox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2011, 06:20 PM   #5
Cecil/WV
Senior Member
 
Cecil/WV's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Gerrardstown, WV
Posts: 2,265
Default Re: Feel proud

That's the sad part!!
Cecil/WV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2011, 07:38 PM   #6
Ford46
Senior Member
 
Ford46's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Southeastern, MA
Posts: 433
Default Re: Feel proud

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Think of all the amazing ideas and items that were a direct result of the space program! Also, think of all of the engineers and highly skilled workers now out of work!!! LouB.
Ford46 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2011, 08:10 PM   #7
Shadetree
Senior Member
 
Shadetree's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Cottageville, WV
Posts: 1,535
Default Re: Feel proud

Australians are true friends of America. They have fought side by side with us in every war in the last 100 years but the Granada Invasion. I have nothing but gratitude and admiration for them.

Thank you and your fellow countrymen Lawrie!

Shadetree
__________________
Son, you will never blow an engine up in high gear.
Shadetree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2011, 11:03 PM   #8
Russ/40
Senior Member
 
Russ/40's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Santee, California
Posts: 3,505
Default Re: Feel proud

I too greatly appreciate your comment. Our people's have a true kinship in spirit. I have never been much of a traveler, mainly because I can't afford it, but I sure would like to make it to Australia some day.
Russ/40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 04:01 AM   #9
JWL
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Fitzgerald, Georgia
Posts: 2,204
Default Re: Feel proud

I agree, the only places I would like to visit are New Zealand and Australia. All the people I have met from those countries are great. My Daddy often talked, with great affection, about the people of New Zealand he met during WWII.

As for the space travels of America-----We would have been far better off to release all those brilliant scientists and engineers 25 years ago. Who knows what innovations and technology could have been developed in the private sector? They could be generating millions of tax dollars rather than costing billions of tax dollars. What did we prove by making those same flights over and over? Just my opinion.
JWL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 10:18 AM   #10
Russ/40
Senior Member
 
Russ/40's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Santee, California
Posts: 3,505
Default Re: Feel proud

John, I guess the practical answer to your question, is that we built the space station. Now exactly what have we accomplished with it would be the next question. Not much info has come out as to why and what, when talking about the space station. Leaves me wondering what it was, or is, for.??????????????
Russ/40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 10:26 AM   #11
Tinker
Senior Member
 
Tinker's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 7,053
Default Re: Feel proud

Russ, as I understand it. It will be a base pad for vehicles to launch further into space. First an asteroid, then mars. Hard to say what privatization of the space program will do. I guess wait and see.

You could hear the sonic boom here when it returned home.
Tinker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 11:38 AM   #12
JM 35 Sedan
Senior Member
 
JM 35 Sedan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Near Rising Sun, Maryland
Posts: 10,856
Default Re: Feel proud

Thanks Lawrie! Overall, the US space program has provided many technology advancement benefits that are in use today around the world. Many folks are not even remotely aware of how some of these technological advancemets affect or improve their daily lives. It's sad for me to think about what advancements may not happen now that the program is ending.
__________________
John

"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts". Albert Einstein
JM 35 Sedan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 11:52 AM   #13
GreenMonster48
Senior Member
 
GreenMonster48's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Enfield Connecticut
Posts: 559
Default Re: Feel proud

I actually work on the space program. A sad end indeed, but as others have said, costly in lives and money. Many, many good things came out of the program, but it was time to end it. I watched the new Constellation program run the budget well into the red before there was even a final design. I support the idea of the commercial industry taking the reigns, unfortunately I think it will be many, many years before we have something active and notable given the current economic crisis we're in. Many blame the current administration for the end of US space travel, but there's no one to blame but NASA and it's subcontractors.
GreenMonster48 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 12:00 PM   #14
ken1939
Senior Member
 
ken1939's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 271
Default Re: Feel proud

Yes, end of an era, and now what? I hate that this nation is in this current position, not only financially but in leadership and vision when it comes to a "shared" future in the exploration of space.

As to our friends down under, I cannot agree more about the postings in regards to the friendship, shared sacrifice and lovers of freedom and expression we share.

If all works out well I plan to visit Australia this fall, their spring, in October for the 19th Annual Picnic Run which is around Melborne.

It will be well worth it!
ken1939 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 12:17 PM   #15
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,371
Default Re: Feel proud

I have mixed feeling about the shuttle program specifically. It was quite an accomplishment for it's time. A lot of really good inovations from that program have made it into our daily lives around the whole world. It turned out to be much more costly than had been imagined during the design phase but we were still in a cold war and space race at that time so we kind of threw the cost to the wind.

With folks like Rutan and a few others in the private sector starting to get notice for their inovation, it will be interesting to see if we can come up with more cost effective solutions to carry on with space experimentation & exploration. If we can solve the mysteries of the universe, we can solve a lot of our own energy problems here on earth.

Kerby
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 08:14 PM   #16
Ol' Ron
Senior Member
 
Ol' Ron's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Chester Vt
Posts: 8,842
Default Re: Feel proud

Thanks Mate, Ol' Ron
Ol' Ron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 08:47 PM   #17
BIG MIKE
Senior Member
 
BIG MIKE's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Boston, Mass
Posts: 358
Default Re: Feel proud

WE should of did Ronnie Reagans Star Wars Program instead of going up and Down into space
BIG MIKE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-22-2011, 11:12 PM   #18
Russ/40
Senior Member
 
Russ/40's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Santee, California
Posts: 3,505
Default Re: Feel proud

If you look at the posts above, they all say the standard answer. "there were many innovations as a result of the space program". I really believe that, but, we never hear what they are.
Sorry, did not mean to hijack the intent of this thread. Again, thanks mate for the compliment.
Russ/40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2011, 07:38 AM   #19
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,371
Default Re: Feel proud

The bigest single one was the material technology to work the heat shielding. The tiles and glue to attach them brought us out of the dark ages on composite structures. Others were elastomers that can take extreme heat and extreme cold and carbon fiber technology. The list goes on. Many of the tech advances are already becoming obsolete. This program far exceeded any other single space delivery program by many years.

If you wonder why American Airlines just ordered near 400 new aircraft, its all about less weight in composite structures and more engine fuel efficiency. It would have taken many more years to get to where we are now in the aerospace industry if it hadn't been for the shuttle program.

Kerby

Last edited by rotorwrench; 07-23-2011 at 07:42 AM. Reason: spelling
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2011, 11:27 AM   #20
Russ/40
Senior Member
 
Russ/40's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Santee, California
Posts: 3,505
Default Re: Feel proud

Thanks for that bit of info.......
Russ/40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:31 PM.