Stoopid Stuff

Spaceflight, The Shuttle and Life at the Edge of the Envelope

I remember the astronauts of my youth. Strapping, athletic young men with the squinted eyes and crew cuts of fighter pilots. Men who would climb into any machine and take it up, just to see what it could do. Men who lived their lives on the razors edge, counting on skill, fast reflexes and not a little luck to live another day. Men who asked no guarantees of life, just a chance at adventure, a chance to do something or go someplace no one else had ever been.

It's 2005. We've lost two spacecraft in 19 years, along with their crews. At what point did we think the exploration of space would be bloodless? Who was it that promised it would be as safe as a carnival ride? No astronaut ever said "Whoa, whaddaya MEAN it's risky? I ain't going if it's not safe!". No. It was precisely because of the risk that made it an adventure for those special men.

It's embarassing to listen to NASA now. They talk as if their number one goal is to take all the risk out of spaceflight. Memo to NASA--That's impossible. Safety should be an integral part of the program, sure, but at some point recognize that your undertaking is inherently risky and GET ON WITH IT. It's not about inspections and repair kits. Have you forgotton the goal?? It's about exploration, pushing the limits, exploring the frontiers. Where would we have been if the overriding concern in 1840 was the safety of the pioneers. America might stretch all the way from the East Coast to St Louis! Sure you control the risks, but not to the point where you squeeze out all the rewards. Just sayin.

posted by mikey @ 4:04 PM