posted 02-05-2003 02:41 PM               

The silver lining of this tragedy is the attention being bestowed uopn our space program.

Ask any of my friends, and they will tell you that I am constantly chiding the media for only reporting space news when we lose a vehicle or someone gets killed.

The average person doesn't know when a shuttle mission is active or that the ISS is
permanently staffed. In a sense, by having such a good system, one that
works amazingly well given the complexity of these flights, NASA has created
the image of routineness (we all know differently).

I have heard members of the media saying now that perhaps the public should pay a bit more attention to our manned space program.

The silver lining is that perhaps now, the media will provide a bit more coverage, and paint NASA in a positive light.

posted 02-05-2003 03:31 PM               

Yeah, there will be interest in the space program again. Next time the shuttle launches again. Then all the interest will go away again as the shuttle becomes a short paragraph with no photos on the back page of the newspaper.

posted 02-05-2003 07:56 PM               

One of the most exciting stories I've seen in a while was watching a Discovery Channel program where shuttle astronaut " Pinky " Nelson describe the increasing speed during launch! ".... and when those SRBs drop, it takes off like a dragster, and just keeps going faster and faster!!! "

Gives me chills!!!

Regards, Bill uzzi69

posted 02-06-2003 08:41 AM               

As was pointed out on Saturday, space flight is a passion. It is a passion that many at NASA and most here understand. The aweinspiring event of a launch carries a fascination because it is a scientific marvel every time. Mankind has designed a means to work around the laws of gravity that hold us to this planet and move us up and away from it. Likewise, the views from space of both the rest of the universe and our own planet capture the imagination and instill a different sense of beauty. There is a magic and passion to spaceflight.

Regretably, it is not a passion felt by all. Most members of Congress have a different (or no) vision and NASA's budget is constantly revamped, reoriented and constricted. For all of its discussion, the current administration would much rather pump money into a new SDI program to protect the nation from a nonexistent enemy, rather than support NASA. It has placed at the head of the agency an individual more interested in streamlining the budget and gaining a 99 percent budget efficiency than he is in leading NASA towards the future.

Further, I do not believe that it is possible to capture the attention of the public at the same level of Apollo 8 or 11, or the initial Mercury and Gemini flights. Spaceflight has gone from the novel and unique to a learning phase. We need to understand the impact of long-duration missions so that we can go to Mars or establish a base on the Moon. We need to develop all sorts of expertises to effectively and efficiently work in space. This learning phase, however, is not something that will enthrall everyone. Even the most die-hard member of this site would be hard pressed to speak with enthusiasm of day 93 of the fourth expedition crew's workday aboard the space station.

In setting the lunar goal, Kennedy said that if we are to go only half way or to reduce our sights in the face of difficulty, then it is better that we do not go at all. That message has been loss for the past 20 years (as reflected in the mismanagement and budgeting fiasco of the ISS). Indeed, I greatly fear that current economic problems and approaches will produce the second position as they force an abandonment of significant manned spaceflight in the near future. The current shuttle fleet of three orbiters shall prove insufficient for supporting the ISS and their other missions. That should be obvious to anyone. Equally, it seems that we lack sufficient spareparts to construct another first generation vehicle. The obvious response of the President and Congress should be a call for and commitment to build over the next five years the next generation of space shuttles. Indeed, the commitment should be to build at least three of those shuttles (and if they named them Grissom, Scobee and Husband I would not object). At the same time Congress should recommit to the ISS and provide the funding for both the additional crew compartment, so that seven astronauts can remain aboard, and provide for the development of the ISS "lifeboat." An administration with a true space vision would also look towards a manned mission to Mars. None of this, however, will happen.

posted 02-06-2003 10:33 AM               

The only way the general public will pay attention to space flight or know what is happening is if it is presented to them via tv news or newspaper. I don't think many are going out of their way to find out the information on their own.

My local paper usually does a very good job reporting the shuttle news with photos of launch, landing, and a few EVA pics. This last mission was an exception as there was little written about it. I realize this is rare to have decent coverage in the news paper.

Even with all the attention on space travel now, I don't think anyone (other than those reading this) would support the idea of going to mars.