Trips into outer space have become so common that the public hardly pays attention. But a 4-by-6-inch hole created in space shuttle Atlantis’ thermal blanket during Friday’s launch has prompted some to take notice.
It’s a stark reminder that NASA is dealing with an aging fleet of vehicles that need to be upgraded for the 21st century.
It’s been only four years since Columbia disintegrated on re-entry after damage to its thermal protection system led to structural failure in the shuttle’s left wing. Seven astronauts were lost. NASA has flown four successful missions since.
A February launch was delayed because a hailstorm damaged Atlantis’ fuel tank insulation as the craft sat on the launch pad. The pockmarks in the spacecraft were patched up like you might repair an old car with spare parts and sanding blocks.
NASA has said it will retire the space shuttle program in 2010 and continue developing a capsule-style spacecraft reminiscent of the Apollo missions for future flights. The capsule spacecraft, called Orion, and accompanying rockets will be designed to take astronauts to the international space station and eventually to the moon and Mars. Much of the work is being done here at Lockheed Martin. NASA hopes to start testing the rockets in 2009 and launch its first flight of the Orion with astronauts in 2013.
But NASA and aerospace industry leaders are concerned about funding, and the gap between the time the last shuttle flies and Orion makes its debut.
Lockheed Martin chief executive Robert Stevens recently said NASA’s $17.3 billion proposed 2008 budget is less than the annual sales of candy and gum and less than half what Americans spend on their pets.
For now, the space agency has an ambitious schedule for its aging fleet, rushing to complete the space station by 2010 and planning 15 more missions in the next three years.
NASA needs to be cautious with its future flights. It can’t eliminate all the risks because space flight is inherently dangerous, but it can decide whether the existing dangers can be managed.
Congress also needs to ensure that its funding the space program at levels that allow NASA to make a quick and safe transition to a new form of manned spacecraft.
In the meantime, we wish the crew of Atlantis, which includes University of Colorado graduate and former Steamboat Springs resident Steve Swanson, a successful mission and a safe return.
