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Cutting money from the space program
is nothing new, it’s been happening since Richard Nixon
days. The last 2 administrations, Clinton and Bush have also
cut into the budget. The time has come to stop cutting, and start
spending the right amount to keep the program as safe as possible,
or we are doomed to repeat Saturday’s disaster. Tiles on
Columbia were known to be at risk after a switch to "more
environmentally friendly" materials to cover the external
tanks, a leaked Nasa report shows.
In 1997, 132 of its tiles were badly damaged
during take-off when foam insulation smashed into them.
O Rings were responsible in 1986, and it is
looking more and more everyday as though those pesky heat tiles
may have been the culprit this time. A photo taken by Israeli
astronaut Ilan Ramon 5 days into the space journey shows a cracked
left wing. We are flying on technology that is over 30 years
old. We have made great strides over the last 3o years, particularly
in the materials field. We can make a tougher shuttle, perhaps
a smaller one.
The thought of cutting back, of doing more
unmanned space flights is a slap in the face to those men and
women who have given their lives in the quest to go where no
man had gone before.
That's
how I see it!
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Webb's
World ~ 02/05/2003
