

A simple way for NASA to get massive news coverage in this mission. - amichail

It could make a big deal of the (apparently minor) tile damage, send the rescue shuttle to take all astronauts except one who would land the damaged shuttle.<p>Doing this would likely get massive news coverage and get people interested in the space program again.
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noodle
and if it were to ever leak out that it were just an overblown PR mission that
burned millions (billions?) of dollars in a recession, they'd get their
proverbial asses kicked by the government.

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dantheman
It doesn't get people interested in the space program, it just makes them
think they can't do their jobs competently. The space shuttle is a disaster of
a project.

The reason people aren't interested in the stuff NASA is doing is because it's
not interesting. The whole space shuttle and IIS are complete boondoggles that
derailed the space program. People care about the Mars Rover or when actually
experiments take place that discover something, but just doing your routine
job isn't new anymore.

IMHO, NASA should no longer exist, perhaps a new organization could replace it
(hopefully privately funded) that could be allowed to take risks and try new
things without the massive bureaucratic overhead and political games.

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dantheman
Also, I say this a strong supporter of space research. I can't wait till we
can travel to distant planets.

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CyberFonic
NASA in 1969 was run by engineers and put man on the moon. In 2009 it is run
by bureaucrats and career managers and have lost two shuttles to date. Only
three left and two more worn out than the Challenger was when it exploded.

We need a NASA 2.0 ! return of the technical brilliance and daring that
started it all ... with VISION & PASSION !

