Shuttle Logic

Props to NASA's Payload Prowess

This week marks the end of one of the greatest logistics enterprises in human history. When the space shuttle Atlantis lands on July 21, it will be the bittersweet conclusion to a program that redefined the possibilities of getting payloads from one place to another. Not only did the shuttle program transport countless tons of technology into orbit, but it advanced the cause of logistics when earthbound as well. Consider this. The space shuttles, which weigh, on the pad, approximately 4.5 million pounds, take off from Florida. More often than not, they land in California. That means every flight must find a way to get that shuttle from one coast to another. Just getting these massive craft from the hanger to launch pad requires one of the largest mobile machines ever built.

In the coming days much will be made of the contributions made by the shuttle program. Advances in science will be mentioned and expanding the boundaries of man talked about. Logistics might prove less popular, and that’s a shame. Because when it comes to putting payload in place, few have done it as well as NASA and the shuttle program.