Posted by Ray Katz in current, history, moon
NASA layoffs: Will we regret this?
As the Apollo program wound down, many employees were laid off. We weren’t going back to the moon anytime soon, and budgets were tight.
So, we got rid of those people…and their expertise. The result: in the 21st century, we’re largely having to learn how to get to the moon from scratch. We didn’t preserve that valuable knowledge. For example, the information necessary to build a Saturn V rocket is gone.
We know how to launch space shuttles...for now
Shuttle program ending
Now we’re laying off this generation of experts, those who know how to operate a re-usable spacecraft. Of course, the spacecraft, too, is retiring next year.
But what about their expertise?
For now…
Shuttle missions are continuing until their jobs are completed. But maybe someday we’ll have another re-usable shuttle…and little expertise remaining.
Anyway, Atlantis is getting ready to launch, and we’ve got people to run that mission. Liftoff is slated for May 11. We’re okay…for now.
