There are only 2 manned missions left for NASA's shuttle program. Last night, as I was falling asleep, Colbert did a bit on his program about it. He talked to the crew of the Atlantis in space. I actually started to tear up. I know people disagree, but I think manned missions are something worth spending money on. We certainly spend a lot more on things I agree on less (Iraq war anyone?). It's one of the few things this country participates in that I can be proud of. I guess the space program is better off in commercial hands. They certainly know how to get things done and on budget when profits are at stake. But I don't want space travel to be for profit. I want it to be something we do for the sake of knowledge and exploration. I want it to give people hope that we can be something greater than ourselves. The manned program may be more symbolic than anything. It is extraordinarily expensive and offers little in return. But I can't help mourning its loss. Instead of wanting to be astronauts, children will grow up wanting to be commercial pilots on Virgin Galactic if they even care about it at all. The program that spawned a generation of dreamers is officially dead. Colbert said it best in his closing statement to the crew of the Atlantis. "Thank you for pushing the limits of human exploration to as far as man can imagine...at least until the funding runs out."
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