NASA's Place in Space - The Ornery American
NASA's Place in Space
| By Jeff K. Brunello |
December 9, 2003 |
The recent Columbia Accident Investigation Board's report is appropriately critical of the
widespread problems at NASA. Our National Aeronautics and Space Administration is not the
awe-inspiring powerhouse of genius cowboys it once was. To be fair, no matter how good or bad
NASA's personnel and administrative structure is, tragic accidents are inevitable. Spaceflight is
the riskiest mode of travel yet devised, and most every space agency around the world has had its
share of mishaps. NASA will certainly suffer more disasters in the future, even after it
implements the CAIB's recommendations. That is the nature of exploration.
Beyond these issues, there is still the question of what purpose NASA will have in the
future of space. The socio-political climate of today is more complex and fluid than that which
NASA was born into. Sure, NASA is still going strong. They have a deep commitment to both a
continued human presence in space and scientific discoveries throughout the solar system and
beyond. But the NASA of today is a shadow of its own reputation.
What happened? Historically, the human and technological triumphs of NASA have been
driven by competition with the Soviet space agency. President Kennedy's challenge of lunar
exploration set a knowable, achievable goal and galvanized the combined efforts of NASA and
third party companies such as Grumman and Boeing. But would Kennedy even have proposed
the idea at that time had there not been political pressure to best the Russians? As today, in those
early days during Project Mercury there were tangible, materiel benefits to be gleaned from space
exploration. Experiments in micro-gravity give us insights into human physiology and earth
sciences, and lead to new alloys, medicines, crop strains, etc. But the massive effort that led to
men walking on the moon was far out of proportion to those more subtle achievements reached
along the way. The space race that began in the 1950's and continued through manned and
unmanned missions for the next two decades was one of national pride and propaganda between
the US and the USSR. Arguably, the vast resources that both countries poured into these efforts
were what made the rapid advances in space travel possible.
One could look back and say that the Apollo missions were the end of a lap of the space
race. When Russia gave up trying for the moon, they ceded temporary victory to the United
States. However, both superpowers continued their competition through Skylab, Mir, and various
unmanned probes in the following years. But those missions focused more on scientific
knowledge and not on making headlines. So we floated along through a decade of increasingly
routine space shuttle flights and data received from the Voyager probes launched back in the
70's. Aside from the loss of Challenger and her crew, there wasn't much sensationalism coming
out of Houston in the 1980's. The public heard hardly a peep about what the Soviets were up to,
and a marcescent NASA plodded along without any real purpose or unifying goal.
The end of the Cold War environment removed the pressure of the space race from
NASA's shoulders. Moreover, that pressure was now off the shoulders of the White House and
Congress. Like high school board members cutting funding for their chess club, Congress
demonstrated fiscally that space exploration now has little importance in the minds of our
nation's representatives. Whether or not Congress's view actually reflects the curiosity and
desires of fully two generations of Americans--whom incidentally were raised in expectant
wonder of real astronauts' heroic explorations on live television, not the implausible Buck
Rogers-styled radio adventures of the "Greatest Generation"--our legislators have effectively
reduced NASA's ability to do its job by almost half. There are never enough federal funds for
every worthwhile cause, and certain earthbound problems admittedly have a more short-term
impact and cause for attention than space travel. Just as societal forces have ebbed the tide of
American space exploration, there will soon be a time when the use of NASA as a political tool
will come into play again.
The Chinese, if you haven't noticed, will imminently be the third nation on earth to
launch people into space of it own volition (as of this writing). The space program in China
appears to have all the government-backed zeal and public interest as the US's did when Alan
Shepard was preparing for his historic first flight. People may scoff at this new kid on the block,
doubting their chances of success. Today's global technological level is far more advanced than
that which the aerospace engineers of the 60's began with, though. Given the commonality and
flow of technology around the globe, there isn't too much "catch-up" to do between developed
nations. Knowing simply that something is possible can be all you need to build the thing
yourself. Doubtful? Read about the college kid who just built a nuclear fusion reactor from parts
found in salvage yards. Needless to say, China's advances in space exploration will come at a
rapid rate. Their schedule is simultaneously secretive and ambitious: a man in orbit within the
next few weeks, and Moon landings probably within the decade. Regardless of how attainable
China's goals may be, the United States would be foolish to let this new political challenge go
unanswered. Sad but true, an arms race against the Chinese would be most likely reason
Congress would reinvigorate.
However, there will soon exist a new variable of competition in human spaceflight:
private enterprise. NASA, and all government operated space agencies the world over, will no
longer hold the only ticket into orbit. Consider the upcoming X Prize, a milestone contest
challenging anyone to build a working, reusable spaceship from scratch. To win the $10 million
purse, the spacecraft must take passengers up to the edge of space twice in a fortnight. The first
flight seems to be less than a year away. This amateur space race, and any future ones, will
probably be as pivotal to the eventual commercialization of spaceflight as the cross-Atlantic
races were for the early days of air travel. One can imagine that manned and unmanned craft will
be plying the Solar System for materiel riches and lucrative services such as tourism within the
next few decades. No longer will government-controlled personnel be solely privy to living and
working in space.
If air flight's past is any indicator as to how space's future might look, earthbound
governments' ultimate role will likely be regulatory. If you disagree, just think of how many
daily passenger flights Uncle Sam operates from Los Angeles to Newark. True, the United States
Postal Service does fly freight, but it too competes with private enterprise. And every time postal
rates increase, we were reminded how thinly spread Congressional funds are, and how weak they
stand against the fruits of profit-hunting capitalism.
Will NASA eventually be rendered obsolete, a husk of a once proud agency now
desperately trying to compete in various space industries? It's difficult to imagine NASA even
getting involved in the game to that extreme because that isn't the agency's purpose. NASA is
not structured to make profit. It is designed to innovate. This isn't to say that it shouldn't try.
Perchance NASA will someday find itself selling $20 million tickets for trips into orbit, as the
Russian government has already done. This is merely pointing out that government tends to be
less flexible and successful in commercial enterprises than privately owned companies. It simply
cannot take the same risk of failure that an upstart corporation can.
The greatest strength that any space faring government has is access to cutting-edge,
classified military technology. The resources that government pours into its space faring efforts
continue to produce the vehicles and tools of tomorrow. In everything from instant coffee to
miniaturized circuit boards, both the public and commerce benefit from declassified successes in
space. Of course, space industries in the future will themselves make innovative advances that
will benefit off-Earth presence and the general public. But that is still far in the future, while
NASA has that momentum in place right now. If Congress can keep the wheels of genius rolling,
there is no reason that the trickle-down effect of technology cannot keep fueling advances in
space exploration.
From a standpoint of national pride, American companies can be at the forefront of space
endeavors for a long time to come, representing the best that this country has to offer. They will
benefit from the prototypes and discoveries that come out of NASA. And eventually, continue its
proud legacy themselves. But if Washington continues to ignore the importance of space
exploration, the United States will soon fall from its leadership position. The space race isn't
over; it is simply entering the next lap. And the competitors are gaining ground and multiplying.
NASA, you are not alone.
Copyright © 2003 by Jeff K. Brunello
http://www.ornery.org/essays/2003-12-09-1.html
