StarDate 030208

The tragic loss of Columbia’s crew on February 1, 2003, saddened my heart immeasurably.  I have been privileged to know many Astronauts from Apollo to the Shuttle and feel a close kinship to them.  My prayers are with the families, especially the children, who have lost their loved ones.
Theirs is to live with the consolation that Columbia’s brave crew perished while performing a duty they passionately loved... a duty which extended humankind’s eternal quest to explore and understand the universe in which they live.  Would that we all could point to such a contribution in our brief existence on this Earth.

Like so many others, I spent many hours watching television and listening to the radio... seeing and hearing all the analyses and explanations... all the finger-pointing and "Monday Morning Quarterbacking"... all the answers to the tough questions espoused by self-proclaimed experts and knowledge-challenged media talking heads.  The constant 24/7 barrage of TV coverage, accompanied with the video of disintegration as back drop, ad nauseam, ignited my anger and frustration, especially when it became so painfully clear that only a few minutes of new information was available each day.  Well, we have enough examples of this format to convince anyone that this is the way of our world today, and there doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it.  But whenever we can, we should respond to those who make their living broadcasting misinformation, false innuendo, and unwarranted speculation.  Here’s my feeble attempt.

For those who ask why...I’m afraid some people will never understand, at least will not admit, that a fundamental, innate facet of the human psyche is seeking new knowledge. This trait is more than simple curiosity... cats have that... 
it is an unquenchable thirst to understand the unknown. Lucky for us, some humans experience this desire to a much greater extent than others, or perhaps we’d still be scratching around in caves.  It is a human trait.  Ah, but when the new knowledge turns into something we all want or like, such as an automobile, or TV, or a Ferris Wheel ride, we are all pleased that the curious human explorer pursued the dream.  Columbus, Magellan, and DuSable pursued the dream, as did the Wright brothers, all with great risk to life attendant to their task.  Had you been in power, would you have stopped them?  or Marco Polo?  or Lewis and Clark?  Human exploration of Space is no different.

Some of those who damn the Space exploration efforts of today didn’t stand up to thwart the challenge issued by John Kennedy.  Some of the "experts" I heard in the past few days, to be consistent with their negative philosophy on Space exploration, would have to admit they would have challenged President Kennedy in order to be intellectually honest.  However, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen.  Unfortunately, Kennedy was the last President who would stand up against a recalcitrant Congress and demand the necessary funding for the ambitious program goals that everyone, including Congress, approved.  Kennedy may have had his own motives for initiating the Space Program, but at least he backed it with conviction.  It wasn’t until after his death, culminating with Apollo 17 and the demise of the Moon program, that Administration and Congressional funding levels for the Space Program began seriously deviating from the stated objectives.  NASA executed miracles achieving what they did in initiating the Shuttle Program with designs more fitting to the budget level than to the mission at hand.  Every Administration and Congress since Kennedy should reflect on the part they played in bringing our Space Program to its current status... the good - which they are all so willing to take credit for and take pride in - and the bad - for which so few are willing to take their share of responsibility.

While on this topic, we should note that TV contributes mightily to the instilling the sense of danger in the Space program.  Because of our technological prowess, Space mishaps are dramatically visual, and make spectacular backdrops for television hysteria... and the broadcasters sure take advantage of this!!  If they gave even a fraction of the broadcast time they give to Space accidents to, say, fatal car accidents... or just fatal drunk-driver car accidents... the relative dramatics would be quite different.  Any accident which takes human lives is shocking to us... as they should be. But considering the twenty some years experience with the Shuttle, and only two fatal accidents under some of the most hostile environments one can imagine, and constantly having to perform within ever decreasing funding levels dictated by the politicians, it is difficult to accept the technological assertion of "too dangerous" to continue.  All must know... the people, the Congress and the Administration... and be told again and again if they don’t know, that adjusting the funding of long term Space projects like an on-off water faucet is dangerous, and that such political action definitely sets the stage for future catastrophes.

I obviously believe we can and must proceed forward with our Space exploration program.  Nevertheless, I am cursed with more than sufficient knowledge, experience and common sense re: space exploration, which sometimes places me in the uncomfortable position of making arguments for the nay Sayers.  Some of these situations have arisen pertaining to Columbia’s demise.

Options for in-Orbit repair...

A great deal of discussion has taken place on the air regarding the repair of Shuttle parts, particularly the tiles, while in orbit. The contention proposed was to inspect the Orbiter for damage, and if found, repair the damaged parts before returning to Earth. Well, it wasn’t easy, but the NASA experts convinced most people that the ability to accomplish this feat in orbit was not part of Columbia’s manifest, ie, we didn’t have the where-with-all to do it.  I believe NASA should have informed the public that in-orbit repair schemes have been considered, but for technical reasons and monetary restrictions were pushed down the priority list.  Again, this is not a new subject. Columbus, Magellan, Bolivar, Lewis & Clark and Marco Polo all had cargo priority problems due to volume and weight, theirs usually being not able to carry as much water and food as they would have liked.  The key point here is that if a priority item or task is left out because of a lack of money, all decision makers in the system, including the people who ultimately pay for the effort, should know about it.  And we have to quit pussyfooting around with one Administration and Congress after another and letting them get away with their excuses for not providing sufficient funding to achieve the objectives they initially approve.  The politician’s practice of coming on TV with their high and mighty pontifications in regard to the Space Program, only on those rare occasions following a tragic accident, and then acting as if they weren’t an integral part of the problem, is ludicrous.

Smaller, Cheaper, Faster...

This philosophy for Space exploration projects was introduced in the 1990s with great fanfare.  It was to be the answer to annual reduction in budgets while still maintaining Space project goals established earlier.  Smaller generally referred to size of Space vehicles, Cheaper meant less cost for a given objective, and Faster meant shorten the schedule time for accomplishment.  This sounded great to the green eyeshades, and to the Government officials whose only concern was the amount of money coming in and going out. Most of Congress lauded the innovative scheme... the age old game of trying to get something for nothing.

But it is a disastrous philosophy to use in the development of a frontier technology, particularly one such as Space where humans must experience such hostile environments.  Not surprisingly, the unmanned Mars debacles showed, it’s not even good when humans are not aboard.  We do not know at this time what the root cause was for the Columbia disintegration.  What we do know is when budgets are squeezed but program goals are maintained, when Smaller, Cheaper, Faster is the mantra, when technical personnel with decades of experience are on the decline, then major Space programs are truly in jeopardy. Hopefully, with new people on board, stupid management philosophies will disappear from our Space programs. However, we may have to pay the piper for our past deeds for some time to come.

I haven’t bothered to delineate the vast number of benefits we have received through our Space programs. The results are overwhelming that the Space Program is one of the very few Government programs to pay its way over decades of time.  My hope for the future is anchored on the expressions I have witnessed on the faces of children of many nations when Space exploration is discussed. They believe!!  I have no doubt they will get the job done. The nay Sayers, the short sighted, the money changers are the ones who will have to find new targets to destroy. Space exploration is here to stay!!

Jim Meechan