When the USSR launched the first satellite, Sputnik,” space exploration became more than just a dream of science fiction fans. Suddenly the two major global powers were locked into a race to plant their flags on a new frontier and to demonstrate their technical prowess in a manner so visible that anyone with a pair of good binoculars could see the new technology fly overhead on a clear night.
The various U.S. design teams were immediately playing “catch up” to the demonstrable heavy lift capacity of the USSR. The USSR lagged behind in guidance technology, something that was necessary both for the space exploration applications of the new missiles as well as the accuracy on target needs of the nuclear weapons designers.
From the first days of the manned flight program, we took ten years to land a vehicle on the moon and bring it back with its crew alive and well. The Soviets sent a probe around the dark side of the moon before we did. But they never made it to the moon. They did put the first real space station in orbit, Mir.
Since the space race began, we’ve put several crews on the moon and then ignored it. We’ve allied with the Russian space team in staffing the new International Space Station. They provide the heavy lift capacity and will soon be the only nation capable of transporting humans to and from the ISS. Because we are ending our near space shuttle program.
NASA has been the victim of budget cuts that leave it without a replacement for our shuttle fleet. It is now reduced to designing and launching exploratory probes that provide an immense amount of knowledge but do nothing to advance manned space flight.
In the ensuing years, Japan, the European Space Agency, India, and China have become the new players in the exploration game. More than anything, this points out our loss of dominance in the manned exploration of space. We will launch one more shuttle mission, Atlantis, scheduled for July 2011 and the program ends. The ISS will be dependent upon aging Soviet era technology for resupply, maintenance, and crew replacement and safe return. The glory days will be far behind us with no funding to keep us even current, let alone dominant.
In the space of my life, we’ve gone from my generation watching the first manned flights as unique events to the current young adults who have never known a world without the U.S. space shuttle. Other than the fans who still flock to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center for any launch they can manage to attend, the bulk of our populace ignores the shuttle and space station programs.
The lost lives and broken spacecraft have documented the high cost of manned space exploration. Now the program is ending. I’ll miss its promise, its magnificent discoveries, and the sense of wonder that every launch generates.
We could do with three less wars and a new fleet of spacecraft to take us further from the planet’s surface. If we have any hope of manned space travel, we need a huge influx of new engineers and scientists who regard space exploration as more than movies laden with special effects. The probes are pointing the way. Now we need people to follow.
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