The congressional hatred of NASA is also irritating. The cries of spending will kill the economy are completely wrong. Spending is the key to a good economy. (Though, we should have a better fiscal plan, i.e. the debt ceiling stuff.) Not spending or putting faith into the economy will do nothing but destroy it. But onwards we plunge. NASA is key to our future generation’s survival. Most of our countrymen have a shortsighted view of NASA. Eventually humans will have to “get off the rock” and leave Earth for several possible reasons. Everything developed now is a key part of the technological evolution that will be required for humans to penetrate deep space and beyond. We need to think in a galactic manner. NASA will get us there if we quit jumping on it for stupid reasons. Overall, the future of humankind outweighs any kind of squabble today. 

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“The team of technicians found the appearance of a technical problem and has advised the management to postpone the launch, ” said a NASA spokesman.

NASA space shuttle Endeavour fired with one last trip to orbit.

Cosmonauts Mission is led by Navy Captain Mark Kelly.

At this launch would now be president and Barack Obama, accompanied by his wife and two daughters of the couple, the first time in NASA history when a president based on his family and attend such an event.

Representative Giffords is recovering at “lightening speed” according to doctors at the Houston hospital where she was transported and has been treated. She has started to speak and even requested a piece of “toast” on Monday morning.

Her husband, Mark Kelly, has been present during her recovery. Kelly, an astronaut, is scheduled to command the space shuttle Endeavor on a two week mission to the International Space Station. The launch date is set for April 19, 2011.

Her recovery is still a “marathon” process and what she will eventually be able to return to do still remains to be seen. Kelly asks that prayers from everyone continue because he says that they are working!

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There are several types of aerial flight vehicles.  There are two that are easily most valuable and safe to those that fly.  This value can be seen by comparing and contrasting the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the T-38 Talon. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft. There were 715 built at a cost of $11.7 million per aircraft. It’s primary mission is one of a close support ground-attack aircraft currently in-service by the United States Air Force. The  A-10, more commonly known by its nickname “Warthog” or simply “Hog”,   provides close air support of ground forcesair support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles and other ground targets.

 The T-38 Talon is a jet used for advanced training.  It is a two-seater aircraft that is used by Unites States Air Force, NASA astronaughts, and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.  There were 1,187 produced. It is an aircraft utilized in different Training Squadrons, Training Wings of the USAF, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and allied national air forces. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s or N.A.S.A.’s instruction astronaut pilots use the T-38 for practicing Shuttle landing techniques. The T-38 is the aircraft of choice for a Shuttle Training Aircraft Trainer for instructing astronaut pilots and mission specialists.

The A-10 aircraft has a Length of 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m), a Wingspan of 57 ft 6 in (17.53 m) if and a Height of 14 ft 8 in (4.47) m.The A-10’s airframe is exceptionally durable. It can survive offensive onslaughts of direct hits from 57 mm armor-piercing projectiles including high-explosives and 23 mm cannon fire.  The A-10 has self sealing modular fuel tanks, and specially modified landing gear.  The cockpit and some of the internal flight control systems are shielded by 900 pounds of titanium armor, and covered by a Kevlar shield.  The A-10’s General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines are located behind the wing near the rear of the fuselage. This is done to lessen the chance of sucking foreign objects into the engine air take.  Their placement also allows the dissipation of heat from the aircrafts engine operation and helps it remain “unlockable” by surface and air to air missiles.

The T-38 trainer aircraft is Length: 46 ft 4.5 in (14.14 m) long, has a Wingspan of 25 ft 3 in (7.7 m), and a Height of 12 ft 10.5 in (3.92 m).T-38 trainer aircraft is constructed of honeycomb material, configured with small protruding wings, and seats the student pilot and instructor in tandem.  The T-38 has two turbojet intakes for engines located at the wing ends, thusly making it extremely maneuverable at low altitudes.  These aircraft are used for weapons training, and are currently undergoing structural overhaul and technological avionics modifications to extend their service life to 2020.  Over 50,000 pilots have trained in this aircraft.

Thrust is given to the A-10 Thunderbolt by Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans providing 9,065 pounds per engine.  The A-1o Thunderbolt is armed with one 30 mm seven barrel Gatling gun.  Its top speed is 420 MPH (Mach 0.56) and has a range of 800 miles.  

While the T-38 is powered by Two General Electric J85-GE-5 turbojet engines with afterburners that produce 2,900 pounds. The T-38 has no armament.  It can fly at a top speed of 812 MOH for 1,0000 miles.

   Both of these aircrafts are exponentially capable and superior aircraft. Their most interesting and most positive benefits are their manuvureabilty, overall enduring fortification qualities, their battlefield versatility and their upgradedibilty. Their absolute nessitiy and overall importance to the many different countries that use this aircraft as an actual flight training vehicle is very understandable; especially to the fortunate pilots that have made battlefield accomplishments and completed the transmission to orbital space flight.