The Final Voyage of Shuttle Discovery

What a magnificent sight this morning to be out on the roof of my office building and to be able to view this final flight of the the Space Shuttle Discovery.

It was then President Richard Nixon who, in 1972, signed the bill authorizing funding for the development of the space shuttle.  NASA launched Columbia, the first space shuttle, in 1981.

I was 13 years old when the space shuttle program began.  I will be 53 this year.  It is nearly impossible for me to believe how fast these 40 years have gone by.

So, the end of an era.  What was cutting edge technology is now outdated and retired.  What lies ahead for space exploration?  Time will tell.  There have been talks in Washington about contracting with the private sector to develop the next manned space vehicle.  But for the time being, the United States will rely on Russia to transport our astronauts to the International Space Station.