• Question: When I was at the CaliforniaScienCenter I saw the Endeavor , which I think was the last space shuttle to go to space , why don't they send up any more or is there any point?

    Asked by Ella to Annette, Dave, Jaine, Julio on 16 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Jaine Blayney

      Jaine Blayney answered on 16 Nov 2016:


      It is probably down to money and lack of competition between countries. When Russia and the US were battling it out during the 1960s, it was important that each country got to space first. NASA are spending a lot of resource on the Mars expeditions: http://mars.nasa.gov/. I got to meet one of the engineers involved in the Mars work. She was very excited to see Mars bars (don’t have those in the US).

    • Photo: Annette Neill

      Annette Neill answered on 17 Nov 2016:


      Exactly as Jaine said, it is down to money. The Americans originally felt that the Space shuttle programme would be a low-cost venture but it didn’t turn out to be the case. The remaining shuttles after Endeavor were designed to make 100 flights but never made close to this. The Space stations have provided as much if not better information and more cost effective -so that’s where we’re at currently.

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