Followed by a couple stumbes. The pinnacle achievement, at least from a glamour perspective (as we've probably learned more with the Shuttle) in manned spaced flight, landing on the moon, first occured thirty-six years ago today. Google has a fitting tribute.

Rand Simberg:

Unfortunately, while many at the time believed that this was just the beginning of many such explorations, ones that would establish bases on the moon, and send humans beyond, to Mars and perhaps other places (the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey had been released the year before, featuring a rotating space station in low earth orbit, a Pan Am space transport to reach it, a lunar base, and manned mission to Jupiter all occurring in that seemingly distant year), the program was already ending. The goal had never really been to open up space, so much as to win a race against the Soviets, to demonstrate our technological superiority, as a proxy battle in the Cold War between democracy and totalitarianism (sadly, it wasn't viewed as a war between capitalism and socialism, else we might have taken a more promising approach). But with the knowledge that we were winning that race, and the budget pressures of Johnson's Great Society and the Vietnam war, the decision had been made years before to end procurement of long lead items necessary to advance much beyond a few trips to the lunar surface.

Only six missions would actually be successfully performed (Apollo XIII didn't get to the moon), with the last one just three-and-a-half years later, in December of 1972. Some of the leftover hardware would go toward the Skylab program in 1974, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, whose thirtieth anniversary occurred just a few days ago. After that, there were no flights into space by Americans until 1981, when the first Shuttle flight occurred--a six-year hiatus.

We now stand at another critical crossroads in human spaceflight. It seems that the shuttle will be grounded untel at least September, after a long hiatus due to tragedy. I seriously doubt whether it will fly into space ever again. NASA needs to help those trying to reach the final frontier by not inhibiting, but encouraging private citizens and companies who wish to do so. The Shuttle is outdated and ineffecient. The most effeicient, durable cars on the road today are made by private companies. Why shouldn't space vehicles be the same? I want to be beamed up.

RIP James Doohan, 1920-2005

Posted by Ryan S. on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 11:29 PM | Permalink |