Recently we told you about NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. He was highly critical of the ISS and Space Shuttle programs, calling them failures (well actually we called them failures, Griffin said “mistakes”) and noting that NASA had lost its way since the glory days of Apollo and other missions of the 60s and early 70s. As we have pointed on this and previous occasions this position is 100% correct. The shuttle has been a glaring failure, fulfilling none of its original mission, costing billions of dollars and several lives. The International Space Station is nothing more than a floating disaster as well, yet to hear its proponents talk, the construction of a space station on the caliber of the ISS is nothing short of earth shattering. Well they are half right. It is nothing. The US and the then Soviet Union had and did send space stations into orbit 30 years ago with far less cost and taking far less time to assemble. Some argue that we should spend nothing on space exploration. This is the wrong approach. Exploration of space is critical and a fundamental achievement for an advanced civilization, but our approach has been mired in complacency and stagnation for decades. The reason for this is today’s efforts lack a competitive drive, as when the US and the USSR were pitted in a grueling battle for dominance and scientific prowess. Griffin was absolutely correct in noting the loss of direction and failure to capitalize of competitive juices. Now it seems, the powers that be have gotten to Griffin, he has “clarified” his remarks and we all know what that means. Griffin noted that he hadn’t meant to offend and that his comments caused hurt feelings. Well if that doesn’t take the cake, nothing will. Perhaps some feelings should be hurt. Its no different than when dealing with these ever so delicate students in school today, who’s self-esteem must be protected at all costs. Perhaps its time we stopped focusing and hurt feelings and start being practical. Are we going to continue to throw money down a rat hole because some feelings were hurt? Griffin’s follow-up, however, was not completely conciliatory he did note, “we have been restricted to low Earth orbit for far too long and that the proper focus of our nation's space program should be the exploration of the solar system.” Again Griffin was right. How long must space exploration be limited to doing the same thing that John Glenn and Yuri Gagarin were doing 50 years ago. How many times must we orbit this planet before we have it down pat?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2005-10-03-griffin-softens-comments_x.htm