NASA

NASA is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (not the North American Space Administration). The ones from America Land who allegedly carried out the Moon Landings.

• <a href="http://www.nasa.gov">http://www.nasa.gov>
• <a href="http://spaceflight.nasa.gov">http://spaceflight.nasa.gov>

The joke seems to be falling rather flat these days. With one of their Space Shuttles (STS-107/Columbia) having burnt up in the upper atmosphere close to the anniversary of another (STS-51-L/Challenger) having exploded on takeoff, and of Apollo 1's fire in testing, it may well take a miracle for the poor souls to keep the space programme on its feet. The International Space Station is likely to have to shut down, at least for the interim, while they decide how the hell they're going to rustle up the craft to maintain and supply the station. GWB has just announced a new subsidy of half a billion; but with the American economy and the war in Iraq, that may well not be enough. Is this the end of manned space travel in our time?

Just for the record, with the loss of Columbia, there are just three orbiters remaining: Discovery (1983), Atlantis (1985) and Endeavour (1991); dates are of rollout from the factory.

What we need is a Space Elevator. What we need is less Inadequate Investment.