Shuttle Mission STS-121 Launches Successfully on the 4th of July!

Discovery successfully launched today without problems, keeping most of the "killer foam" attached to the fuel tank where it belongs!
NASA has been in trouble over the past decade or so, plagued with underfinancing, aging equipment, and a fairly recent shuttle disaster.
Although in general, the workings of NASA are not very environmentally friendly, they have pioneered amazing technology and their continued research, development, and exploration of space is extraordinarily important.
Looking at what we're doing to our planet, we'll be needing resource alternatives and potentially even habitat alternatives to earth in the next century. NASA is one of the few organizations that is actively developing technology to make these advances possible. It is unfortunate that although Americans used to follow the space program avidly, interest has waned and public support has dwindled as have government funding.
We can only hope that with our technologic advances, we will be able to find ways to better utilize resources, minimize waste and impact on the environment and this technology will be used responsibly for future generations.