So long, Shuttle, and thanks for the fish

NASA to Accelerate Plans for Shuttle's Replacement

This interesting story, for me anyway, from Space.com was talking about NASA speeding up the development of the CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle). It appears that the space shuttle has its death certificate filled out with a planed retirement for 2010. While they are currently working on a new vehicle to replace it (being the CEV) it is not scheduled to carry people till 2014. So NASA is going to try to push that along to help shrink the time between the Shuttles Retirement and the CEV being used.

That being said, I am excited about this new CEV. I can't wait for it to be used, but at the same time, I'm saddened at the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet. I have grown up with the shuttles. I remember watching the shuttles launch at school. I remember the first launch of the shuttle. I also remember watching the shuttle go from exciting to every day as Television stopped broadcasting all the launches and we are lucky for a report on the evening news that one had launched.

I remember asking to leave class to go to the library, knowing they had a television there so I could watch the shuttle launch, and while watching that launch having my excitement turn to sadness when I saw it explode after throttle up.

I understand it is time to retire the shuttle and create a new space vehicle. But I can't help but think of the sadness I'll feel when they finally do that.

T minus 5 years and counting.