Let me preface my comments below by heartily agreeing with the folks who have cited the Hubble Space Telescope as one of mankind's most important scientific instruments ever, and how the STS program is integral to its continued success. I'd also like to nod to those who correctly point out that the STS and ISS programs are already serving valuable purpose in the quest for interplanetary travel, which mass media seems to be crying for as the "new" focus of the space program. Now, on to the meat of the matter.
TO THOSE WHO WOULD RETIRE THE SPACE SHUTTLE FLEET
It really irritates me how fast the fingers start pointing when we suffer a national tragedy like Columbia. So many folks are attacking NASA management and engineering, while there is a considerable lack of funding, which is rationed by Congress and the White House. I believe that every single person within NASA who was responsible for the flight readiness of Columbia did everything within their power to maintain a safe ship. It's not their fault that it costs millions more than is available to do all the jobs that must be done, so they must prioritize each, as we all do in life. And, even then, no one can think of every possible future failure. Money to burn wouldn't make a gang of geniuses infallible.
I was not surprised to find out that the Clinton budget hid drastic cuts in the STS program by combining its bookkeeping with the ISS program. In former astronaut Jerry M. Linenger’s book "Off The Planet", he shows how the former Mir program was being used to filter US dollars into the Russian economy without labeling it "foreign aid" and inciting popular opposition. Now they use the ISS program. I don't oppose keeping the world's nuclear powers stable with US aid, but I have a problem with deception that uses my beloved space program dollars to line the pockets of Russian officials, who intercept this "payment" for Russian ISS hardware that never materializes. Maybe if the aid wasn’t such a secret, they'd have a harder time stealing it from the economic/industrial infrastructure that it is intended to rebuild.
That money could be better spent on proper maintenance of what I still consider to be mankind's finest machines, doing the work that our curious nature and national strength demand. Many people who want to mothball the STS fleet apparently have no clue that it does our bidding in space like no other machines in existence can. They don't realize that the next generation of reusable space vehicles has been in development for over twenty years and requires at least another ten to come to fruition as the safe, effective vehicle system that they are demanding right now. It's a typical American stereotype at its worst; to Hell with realistic expectations, we want instant gratification!
(continued...)
TO THOSE WHO WOULD RETIRE THE SPACE SHUTTLE FLEET
It really irritates me how fast the fingers start pointing when we suffer a national tragedy like Columbia. So many folks are attacking NASA management and engineering, while there is a considerable lack of funding, which is rationed by Congress and the White House. I believe that every single person within NASA who was responsible for the flight readiness of Columbia did everything within their power to maintain a safe ship. It's not their fault that it costs millions more than is available to do all the jobs that must be done, so they must prioritize each, as we all do in life. And, even then, no one can think of every possible future failure. Money to burn wouldn't make a gang of geniuses infallible.
I was not surprised to find out that the Clinton budget hid drastic cuts in the STS program by combining its bookkeeping with the ISS program. In former astronaut Jerry M. Linenger’s book "Off The Planet", he shows how the former Mir program was being used to filter US dollars into the Russian economy without labeling it "foreign aid" and inciting popular opposition. Now they use the ISS program. I don't oppose keeping the world's nuclear powers stable with US aid, but I have a problem with deception that uses my beloved space program dollars to line the pockets of Russian officials, who intercept this "payment" for Russian ISS hardware that never materializes. Maybe if the aid wasn’t such a secret, they'd have a harder time stealing it from the economic/industrial infrastructure that it is intended to rebuild.
That money could be better spent on proper maintenance of what I still consider to be mankind's finest machines, doing the work that our curious nature and national strength demand. Many people who want to mothball the STS fleet apparently have no clue that it does our bidding in space like no other machines in existence can. They don't realize that the next generation of reusable space vehicles has been in development for over twenty years and requires at least another ten to come to fruition as the safe, effective vehicle system that they are demanding right now. It's a typical American stereotype at its worst; to Hell with realistic expectations, we want instant gratification!
(continued...)
