Discovery

So it seems that the launch will take place tomorrow, after all. Nobody seems to give a fuck now, but launching something into space remains a challenge, especially if it is a manned aircraft -- and a particularly dangerous one. I suppose the NASA guys know what they are doing but I don't have a good feeling about all this and how the NASA people dodge questions about the chances of success. It's like nobody wants to be the one to say: "I believe that all the things we have done and checked and checked again guarantee a safe mission." Of course, no mission can be 100% safe. But still, there really is a hot potato dance going on here.

I hope tomorrow's lunch will prove me wrong. I support all space programs. Even if tomorrow's launch is a success, I don't think I'll feel totally satisfied. The NASA attitude is really something to be worried about. It has left the realms of science. It has become political. Everybody wants the shuttle in space ASAP. The guys in the orbital station because they need supply and someone to pick up their trash. The NASA to prove that it can still remain competitive after Columbia's accident and to keep its financial support. The astronauts because they want to be in space.

The President should attend such an important event. But he is not. He probably has better things to do. I hope he does. Otherwise it means he just doesn't want to take any chance of being associated with a disaster.