From their position aboard the shuttle Discovery and the international space station, six American astronauts have an unrivaled view of our home, planet Earth. Their “big picture” view can provide a few insights to those of us who remain behind, caught in the debate of whether or not what they are doing is worthwhile.
What is the big-picture view? Looking back over the decades of human spaceflight, we now can see many ways our lives have improved because of the risks taken.
Whether we consider an individualistic perspective or a group perspective, our conclusion of whether or not human spaceflight is worth the risk should be the same: yes. We all benefit from the risks taken by those who dare greatly.
The exploration of space – both manned and unmanned – has yielded technologies that improve our lives in both spectacular and subtle ways. We benefit from weather forecasting satellites and from improved cellphone technology. We benefit from life-saving medical devices like the DeBakey heart pump and from frustration-saving technologies like cordless power tools.
In Colorado, we also benefit economically. Colorado recently surpassed Florida to become the No. 3 state in the nation when it comes to private-sector workers in aerospace. Direct and indirect employment from the aerospace industry provides jobs for 164,500 workers throughout Colorado. Moreover, aerospace-related jobs are high- tech jobs, with an average annual salary of $91,000.
But the space program only has meaning to people if it is about people. The fact that humans are in space isn’t beside the point – it is the point. The accomplishment of human spaceflight has opened a trail into the high frontier for all of us. The trail is not yet a smooth highway. It’s not even paved. Yet some suggest we give up on improving the path rather than pressing forward.
We who continue the debate benefit every day from the advances made by those who live the risk and, in rare cases, make the ultimate sacrifice. Ultimately, the decision is not ours but lies in the hands of those appointed by our elected leaders and those who step aboard the space shuttle.
Our elected leaders have appointed Michael D. Griffin, NASA’s administrator, as the people’s representative to make that decision. Griffin is overwhelmingly qualified for the job with six advanced degrees and experience both at NASA and in the private sector. He has listened to and engaged in discussion with NASA managers and come to the conclusion that the given level of risk was acceptable to launch.
What do those taking the risk have to say? Col. Steven W. Lindsey, who is commanding the STS- 121 mission, says, “The value – both tangible and not – of what we learn from spaceflight is worth so much more to humanity than the risks involved that I am personally willing to put my life on the line to take those risks.”
As an astronaut, he is more aware of those risks than any of us could hope to be.
What do we have to gain from this particular shuttle mission? As the second test flight since the loss of Columbia in 2003, a successful launch, mission and return of Discovery will provide valuable data to NASA that will allow continued improvement of the safety and minimization of the risk of flying the space shuttle until its planned retirement in 2010.
More importantly, however, a successful STS-121 mission puts another stepping stone in place as NASA embraces its bold new mission of exploration beyond low Earth orbit – to return to the Moon and travel on to Mars, establishing a permanent human presence throughout our solar system. And, of course, we will continue to benefit from the commercialization of technology advanced in the space program. We do not yet know what these things might be, but history teaches us that our lives will be better for it.
If you do not believe human spaceflight is worth the risk, by all means, stay home. But let those who do believe continue to go boldly and to explore. Someday you will benefit from what they learn and discover.
Elliot G. Pulham is president and CEO of the Space Foundation in Colorado Springs.
