Category Archives: space shuttle

challenger, space exploration, space flight, space shuttle

Remembering Pioneers

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Apollo, Challenger, and Columbia

Remembering the Challenger 7
If we die, we want people to accept it. We are in a risky business and we hope that if anything happens to us it will not delay the program. The conquest of space is worth the risk of life.
Gus Grissom, Apollo 1 astronaut
In memory of the Apollo 1 astronauts.

This week marks three epic disasters in the United States space program’s history: the Apollo 1 fire that killed astronauts Ed White, Roger Chaffee and Gus Grissom during a routine training mission on January 27, 1967, the Challenger disaster that took the lives of astronauts Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnik, Ellison S. Onizuka, Ronald E. McNair, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe on January 27, 1986, and the loss of space shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2002, that killed Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown, and Laurel Clark.

In memory of the Columbia crew.

It’s a rather poignant time for U.S. space exploration as we face the last shuttle launches and an unknown period of time where our country will NOT have a readily available way to get to space. There are hints and rumors that the new budget will not contain funds for the Ares program, and this has a lot of people wringing their hands in agony of our lack of space exploration capability.  It’s not a wonderful coincidence that these cuts come as we remember those who gave their lives in pursuit of space exploration. But, I don’t see the loss of Ares funding as the tragedy that some do. In fact, I hope that it galvanizes us to dream up better ways to get to space — more efficient, less dangerous, and above all–accessible to any of us who want to go to space some day.  If that happens, I think it will be a good way to salute the Apollo, Challenger, and Columbia crews who gave their all so we could explore.  Let’s do them the honor of pushing forward and continuing our push to space regardless of the challenges we face at the moment.

And remember, we ARE still exploring space — from ISS, at the planets, and gazing out past billions of light-years with our orbiting telescopes. We’ll get ourselves out there someday, too.

NASA, Opinion, space shuttle

She’s Home

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Only a Few Shuttle Missions Left; Where to Next??

Discovery returns home on September 11, 2009. Courtesy NASA.
Discovery returns home on September 11, 2009. Courtesy NASA.

I am struck by the interesting (and uncomfortable) irony that I can watch a shuttle launch and landing (and press conferences about gawgeous HST results) via satellite TV in the comfort of my home — made possible by advances from the United States space program — and yet, we in the U.S. are facing the end of a significant part of our crewed flight to space capability.  After next year (2010-ish) we have no human launch capability in the U.S. Period.  The Ares launch vehicle won’t be ready to go for some years yet, and NASA is facing that fact. So are those of us who have followed NASA’s many achievements for most (if not all) of our lives.  I can’t imagine a time without space access — yet we, in the U.S., are facing that time.  The Augustine Commission recently-released document notwithstanding, we are slamming into a wall that will prevent us from going to space for a quite a while. The worst thing is, it’s a wall of our own building.

We, collectively, in the US, have let the leadership slight NASA for too long. And, NASA is paying the price. Yes, it can still do great things — but it can’t do the greatest, not with the lack of funding and Congressional and Senatorial support it is facing.  I have many friends who work for NASA and its contractors, and their agency doesn’t deserve the neglect it’s getting.  I am proud of the folks at NASA — they are a gift that this country once voted to give to itself. And now, the best and brightest are being treated like second-hand goods by politicians who would rather encourage some very questionable things with our tax dollars.

Maybe it’s time that we let the rest of the world leap ahead of us. Maybe we’ve done all we can.  Maybe we should just revel in our complacency that allows us to use satellite TV and cell phones and other technology that space travel has made possible, but not look forward to or enable new accomplishments made by our fellow Americans.  Maybe the U.S. doesn’t have the will to move forward any more, given our country’s slide into anti-science, anti-reality fundamentalism and hatred. Maybe we don’t deserve to go to space any more — and that other countries can find ways to do it better. Maybe we need a kick in the collective hiney.

I’d hate to think that this would be the case. I’ve always been proud to live in a country that led people to space and has given the world so much to marvel at.  Space travel and the will to explore has been part of our national psyche for a long time.  It’s kind of sad to think that maybe we won’t be in that leadership role any more. What do you think?