In “Up and Away” the author is claiming that the NASA Space Shuttle Program does not live up to its hype and the millions of dollars put into it. The author states that NASA made “outrageous claims” in regards to the potential the Space Shuttle Program had. However these claims were never met, but instead brought disaster with the loss of two space shuttles. But how could one claim that our Space Shuttle Program has brought nothing but disaster? For all I know, the moon could still be a mystery to me. NASA’s Space Shuttle Program was a success because it propelled our country into becoming a dominant superpower, and furthered our scientific knowledge.
The author of “Up and Away” states that the Space Shuttle Program was never about science, and that its main purpose was to build a machine to make quick and fast trips into space. “Up and Away” even admits that the “space shuttle is probably the most recognized symbol of science and technology for a generation.” These are two very contradictory statements. Nature also mentions the Nixon-era and how they weren’t resourceful enough, when in fact, “President Nixon announced that NASA would proceed with the development of a reusable Space Shuttle system. The final design was less costly to build and less technically ambitious than earlier fully reusable designs”(Exploration of Space). The author also claimed that “The program never flew close to the 50 missions per year originally envisaged, and the cost per flight was always well above the estimates (Nature).” Although the Space Shuttle Program never flew 50 times a year as planned they sent a total of 135 flights into space. Of those flights NASA only had five space shuttles that flew into space, this meant that NASA was using Space shuttles over 20 years old. Although millions of dollars were put into these shuttles, they did a fantastic job of preserving them and using them time and again. These flights consisted of carrying over three million pounds of cargo and more than 600 flight members, whom conducted several hundred experiments, and helped repair many satellites and telescopes.
In many ways, the United States is looked at as the strongest country in the world. For America, NASA has been an important factor in why we’re deemed a global superpower. On July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon. Although many believe this is insignificant, without the Space Shuttle Program, feats such as this would seem impossible. Nature claims that telescopes, landers and rovers could teach us more about space than a Space Shuttle could. These projects of course do not require an astronaut, but a Space Shuttle would. Although NASA has created astonishing technology, it is hard to believe that machines are replacing humans. Machines do not have the capability to problem solve, or react to different factors that might occur. On a typical mission, astronauts are traveling at such high speeds that they see a sunrise and sunset every 45 minutes! Monitoring space would be most highly productive when seen through the eyes of an astronaut. As Edward Murrow said a satellite has no conscience.
The Space Shuttle Program has given our civilization the ability to see things, that without it, we could only dream of. Nature makes accusations that NASA is stumbling over different projects that they have been working on over the years. This may be true, but these projects are high profile and, naturally, will take time to develop. “NASA's space shuttle is unlike any other spacecraft ever built. The craft was designed to streak into space as a rocket but return as a glider, utilizing an aerodynamic winged shape to descend through the atmosphere and touch down on a runway much like a commercial airplane. (National Geographic)” Projects such as this are difficult and take immense planning and efficient execution. One thing I do agree that Nature says is that the possibilities for space science have never been greater. So why not attack these possibilities with everything NASA is made of? Why deem this program a failure when the Space Shuttle Program has brought nothing but discovery and understanding to this country.
As a student, one thing I do everyday is learn about our history and all of the failures and successes of this country. It is both morally and scientifically wrong to see our Space Shuttle Program regarded as “falling short”. Without space travel, our country would not be the dominant force it is today. We would not be able to see the earth from afar, nor would we know what lies thousands of miles away from us. Space would be a mystery, and science would be suffering greatly.
Work Cited:
Unknown, . "Space Shuttle Program."National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct 2011.
Unknown, . "Up and Away." Nature. (2011): n. page. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.
Unknown, . "Space Shuttle History."Century Of Flight. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct 2011.
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