I hate head colds

[giza]

I have this absolutely awful head cold today. I feel like the Underwear Gnomes stuffed a bunch of stolen underwear up my nose while I was sleeping.

So, I dug up this computer-generated video of the Mir Space Station deorbiting and crashing. Made me feel a little better:

Watch on YouTube

If you like the video, then feel free to Digg me: http://www.digg.com/space/Mir_Space_Station_De_orbiting_and_crashing

Comments

[dracoprime.livejournal.com]

Not sure I understand why a video of a space station coming down in flames makes you feel better, but get well soon.

[giza.livejournal.com]

Well, I liked how the video showed all the details of the engine burn, the gradual drop in altitude, and how the station warped and eventually fell apart. I found it educational.

[rassah.livejournal.com]

Wow, that makes me feel kinda sad. Seems they even had to waste a space module (USSR version of our shuttle) to do the deorbiting burn. What a waste.

[giza.livejournal.com]

Damn right. I'm pissed that I had to buy lunch that day.

[bushrat.livejournal.com]

Seeing this video has the opposite effect upon me. The destruction of Mir was completely unnecessary and unjustifiable. The night that Mir fell from the sky, I very proudly blasted an MP3 of the Soviet National Anthem, drank half a bottle of the finest Russian Vodka that was available at the time, and was just waiting for anyone to come up here and question me over it. No one dared. I remember that night clearly. When Mir fell, part of me fell with it.

I have a Mir patch on my jacket, and will gladly show you if you wish to see it. It is the exact patch that all of the Cosmonauts wore on their spacesuits. The loss of Mir is no joke to me, I have already had a discussion with 2 Gryphon about this exact subject before.

I'm not trying to start an argument with anyone, but I could not ignore this post either.

[giza.livejournal.com]

Why exactly was it "completely unnecessary and unjustifiable"?

[bushrat.livejournal.com]

The Mir Station was not just a tool, it was an Icon. It outlasted the nation that assembled it. How often does that happen in today's world? There was no reason for it to be destroyed. It was still functional. The booster that was sent up could have and SHOULD have been used to push Mir up into a high orbit where it could have been placed into long-term 'storage' and allowed to idle safely. If I was the one making the descision, this is what would have been done. It would still be up there today, wether active or inert. It cannot be replaced.

We have also lost the Buran shuttle as well, and now the NASA shuttle will be next. The future of the Hubble Telescope is uncertain. What do we now have? The ISS is still incomplete after several years. At this point we should not only have a permanent moon base established, but also have already set foot on Mars and be well on our way towards establishing a permanent base there also. Why is Space Exploration so far behind? There is no excuse for it. The entire world should be ashamed. Perhaps I was born a century too soon for my own good?