NASA: From Kennedy to the Ming Dynasty

[ECTNews]

 The final voyage of NASA's space shuttle program represents the biggest collapse of a national exploration program since China turned inward after the remarkable 15th century voyages of Chinese Admiral Zheng He. The space shuttle descended from the original Kennedy-era response to the Soviet investment in technology development. Unfortunately, the program's last gasp will come with this year's launch of the Mars Science Laboratory. With a budget topping $2.5 billion, the mission represents the last of the large flagship missions of the past 30 years.