One giant leap

As I’m typing this, at the dizzying rate of about 18 words per minute, 210 miles above Australia, Mike Fossum, and Ron Garan are doing some final safety checks for the first space walk of Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-124, at the International Space Station. This particular mission will deliver the 37’ long, second module of the Japanese Kibo laboratory. Most of you probably didn’t know this, and let’s face it… probably don’t care. We Americans really don’t pay a lot of attention to the space program anymore. It’s just not something that excites us. If we could only make it a reality show... 'Survivor: Sea of Tranquility' or 'Dancin in the Stars'... it may get more ratings. I have to admit to being a bit of a space geek. I watch the launches, the docking to the ISS, space walks, landings, all of it. I’m still amazed we are able to execute these missions with such precision. Everything like clockwork, from the launch, to docking two objects orbiting the earth at 17,500 mph, to having the wheels touch down 2 weeks later at Edwards AFB within a minute or two of when the mission plan said they would months earlier.

The allure has waned quite a bit from the days of the space race in the 60’s, and early 70’s I’ll admit. It was exciting. Not that I was around for much of it. I was 3 in July, ’69 when Neil Armstrong stepped off the pad onto the moon’s surface. I was probably just annoyed that Sesame Street wasn’t on. But for those of you who were more cognizant, and not fresh out of diapers, it must have been terrifying in 1961 for our adversaries, the Russians, to be first out of the gate when Yuri Gagarin first orbited the Earth. Then John Glenn caught us up in ’62… Then back and forth from there like an aeronautical ping-pong game. It was more of a time of heroes, and the mystique that surrounded them. Seven men, (originally), literally testing new technology on the job, in extreme harms way. Aside from the technological milestones, and giant leaps forward, these extraordinary risks unfortunately resulted in the Apollo 1 tragedy, where Gus Grissum, Roger Chaffe, and Ed White, who coincidentally executed the first space walk 43 years ago today, died in a fire on the launch pad. Sadly, they would not be the last. We would later suffer the loss of Space Shuttles Challenger, and Columbia.

So why do we still do it? What do we get out of the risk, and the expense? Initially... We had to… It’s the human spirit. Why cross an ocean 500 years ago? Why venture West 200 years ago? We do it to see if we can, and to see what happens if we succeed. I always hear people say, “we should put that money to better use!” The current NASA budget is only 1.2 cents of every tax dollar spent, and there is a return on investment... With the military at 42.2 cents, and free health care, free food, and free housing programs totaling 33.3 cents, I’m thinking there is another column or two in the federal budget where we could cut, and reallocate funding… Especially where education is apportioned a pittance of 4.4 cents, and Law enforcement 3.9. Thanks for making good on all those 911 promises George!

Well, what are the benefits? What do we get for our $17 billion a year? The results are all around us: CAT scans, critical care monitoring, the jaws of life, advances in food storage, Velcro, the technology to analyze a smaller biopsy sample so they can be taken with a needle instead of a scalpel. Airbag triggers, pacemakers, hydrogen fuel technology, the reversal of bone density loss, hydroponics, (which also helps Taco Bell’s late night sales), and EVERYTHING you do that has anything to do with a satellite. I could go on, but you’re probably bored enough.

The shuttles are to be retired in 2010. I’m really hoping to get to Florida before then to see a live launch. I’m not sure what it is that makes it exciting for me. The countdown hits t –10, the igniters light the main engines, then 3… 2… 1… And the massive solid rocket boosters fire, and up it goes. Amidst the shear violence of millions of pounds of thrust, it rolls gracefully, and slowly disappears above its long, white vapor trail. It’s one of those things with me that makes me feel like a kid again. And with all the crap adults have to deal with every day… What’s wrong with that?