Space Cowboys

While on vacation in Florida, I saw the launch of STS-131 from my vantage point in Tarpon Springs.  Even though I was 150 miles from Cape Canaveral, it was still spectacular.  The early morning launch of the shuttle Discovery, on April 4th, was clearly visible from the west coast of Florida and lasted a good nine or ten minutes before it rocketed out of sight.  Even then, the shuttle's contrail dominated the early morning sky for another two hours.

There are only three remaining flights of the Space Transportation System (STS), better known as the shuttle, before NASA scuttles the whole program.  The remaining shuttle missions are planned for May 14, July 29, and September 16.  After that, NASA plans to pay the Russian space agency Roscosmos $51 million for every U.S. astronaut they ferry to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard their Soyus spacecraft.     Currently, NASA spends about $450 million for each shuttle mission.  Despite the Obama administration cutting back on manned space flight, NASA still has a healthy budget to support.  I wonder how much the Russians will charge for the first piece of checked luggage?