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Today at 4:50EST (1:30PST) the space shuttle Discovery will launch for the final time, delivering The Permanent Multi-Purpose Module (PMM) and spare parts to the space station.

The last flight for the Endeavor is planned for April 19th, 2011, carrying the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS).

The last flight of the Atlantis, and the last space shuttle flight for the space shuttle program, is planned for June 18, 2011 and will install the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module.

The first space shuttle took flight on April 12, 1981, and the last flight will occur just after 30 years of STS missions. With two million moving parts and 150 miles of internal wiring, the space shuttle is the most complex machine ever created.

wikipedia said:

The shuttle program is scheduled for mandatory retirement in 2011, in accord with the directives President George W. Bush issued in the Vision for Space Exploration. The shuttle's planned successor was to be Project Constellation with its Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles and the Orion Spacecraft; however, in early 2010 the Obama administration asked Congress to instead endorse a scaled-back plan with heavy reliance on the private sector.

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While we can change personnel at the space station via the Soyuz spacecraft, and we can lift some smaller new modules and load into orbit, the space shuttle is the only means we have to launch very large items, and take nearly any medium to large items out of orbit and bring them back in one piece, as well as the only platform which allows us to service satellites, such as the Hubble Telescope.
Added at: 15:01
You can watch the launch preparations and launch on NASA TV:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

The end of an era for sure....

I thought this was going to be the last flight, period.

We will still be able to do most of the missions with a capsule space craft. But now there will not be a NASA space craft in the pipeline.

Just out of curiosity, how will anybody get to the ISS without space shuttles? Will we start using giant slingshots now?

North_Ranger said:

... start using giant slingshots now?

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Yes, the soyuz.
Added at: 22:30
I think the Orion capsule that was under construction for the Mars Mission will be privately funded. So NASA will contract out manned spaceflight.

Also to earlier posts, NASA and USAF do have heavy lift craft that can handle more payload than the shuttle.

NASA should pump money into the X prize.

Or compete.

Sad. It feels like a door is inexorably closing...

The southern view of the launch was a bit disappointing. There was a low cloud deck and a lot of haze.

That's one way to beat the clouds!

Pretty neat.

http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-launches-space-shuttle-historic-final-mission-153202937.html

Necro for the last flight.
Added at: 19:53
I kinda feel like I'll cry when it lands.

I feel trite for saying it, but it does feel like the end of an era.

I just hate how we've lost the will to explore space...

I don't know if we've lost the will to explore space so much as it's going to be more privatized now. I think.

They're even talking about de-funding Hubbles successor. Tough time for the US space program.

Not just talking about it. They voted to kill funding to it yesterday.

Sucks.

ThatNickGuy said:

I don't know if we've lost the will to explore space so much as it's going to be more privatized now. I think.

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Just today I read an article about the House of Reps shooting down a few NASA project including the James Webb telescope - Hubble's successor. What I love is how the government loves to shave off billions here and there on education and science, meanwhile our defense budget stays strong at taking up over a 1/3 of the country's money. Cut the Pentagon's budget by even a 1/10 and you've got NASA funding for 20 years. It's downright disgusting how short sighted and stupid members of Congress are.

NASA had already spent a fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck ton of money on the JWST too (well, like 1/1000th of the yearly defense budget). So, maybe someone can find some use out of all that R&D time spent on the thing but yeah, what a God damn waste.

Frankie Williamson said:

NASA had already spent a fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck ton of money on the JWST too (well, like 1/1000th of the yearly defense budget). So, maybe someone can find some use out of all that R&D time spent on the thing but yeah, what a God damn waste.

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That's the thing about any scientific/engineering field. It's hard to quote a fixed price on anything because there are tons of variables to work with. Congress doesn't seem to mind cutting a check for 553 billion dollars in 2012 to the department of defense though.

But we have to protect ourselves from the outsiders! And bring democracy to foreign countries!

And we have to do that...WITH TANKS. Lots and lots of motherfucking tanks!

ThatNickGuy said:

But we have to protect ourselves from the outsiders! And bring democracy to foreign countries!

And we have to do that...WITH TANKS. Lots and lots of motherfucking tanks!

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Homeland security is the biggest fucking waste of 43 billion dollars this side of the planet. I love how these assholes want to scrub 3 billion off NASA, but don't even consider the shitbox that is Homeland security. How did we ever live without 43 billion dollars going into Homeland security? Oh yeah, pretty fucking well.

But if it's not spent, the terrorists will win!

And so, we have stood at the threshold of eternity... and turned back, shut the door and put the TV back on.

*sighs*

I'd like to think that may start another space race, but I have a feeling our attention span is too short for it to do anything. At least someone is still looking to the sky.

That video made me so sad, yet hopeful that something will change. I honestly didn't think the last shuttle launch would bother me as much as it has. It's like we just gave up...

Shuttle porn (seriously, check it out).

mr_thehun said:

God bless America, pushing us to the final fronteir. While America shaves off funding from its space program, developing countries like India and China (http://blogs.forbes.com/raykwong/20...es-no-more-as-chinas-space-program-takes-off/) continue to add to them.

I mean damnit, being called a developed nation doesn't mean you should stop reaching for the stars.

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But we're already developed. We've reached our destination. We can just wave as everyone eventually passes us by.

drifter said:

Shuttle porn (seriously, check it out).

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*hesitantly reaches out*
*closes eyes*
*click*
*peaks*

Oh, thank god...

Japan is already working on the situation.

That specific Atari console was Years in the future when the Shuttle first flew...

same with the Taurus and the Huge Celphone and Compaq Luggable computer.

Which only validates his point further.

Jokes are like frogs. Entertaining enough until someone dissects it.