Now seven years later, NASA’s Space Shuttle program is almost over. There’s only five more shuttle flights planned before the space shuttle fleet is retired from service. U.S. astronauts will then have to hitch a ride with the Russian Space Agency, whose Soyuz and Progress spacecraft have been participating in the International Space Station program for years.

President Barack Obama is calling for drastic changes in the U.S. space program, taking the $100 billion NASA planned on using to return astronauts to the moon, and redirecting the money into new rocket technologies.

A logical approach especially since the administration has also extended the life of the space station program. In the face of shrinking budgets, it makes sense to redirect our limited funds into earth orbit technology and the space station, giving the U.S. a space platform to work and launch from. The moon will just have to wait a little longer.

Space shuttle Endeavour is getting ready for takeoff on it’s STS-130 mission to the ISS, with launch countdown beginning February 4th.