Houston, we’ve solved a problem

Overcoming problems, Apollo 13 returned safely

Today is the anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13, a mission that failed to land on the moon, but is hailed for the ingenious problem-solving abilities of NASA. When there was an explosion aboard a spaceship headed to the moon, we managed to bring the three astronauts home alive.

Difficult projects demand superior capabilities

Space flight is like that. It’s inherently a high-risk venture. It requires planning, but also flexibility and imagination. And grace under pressure.

A good safety record…considering

Following the Apollo fire in 1967, the Apollo moon program had zero astronaut fatalities. In the shuttle era that followed, two spacecraft failed to return home and both crews were lost. But that was in the course of more than 100 flights over more than a quarter of a century. One could argue that, despite the tragedies, the shuttle has had a pretty good safety record…at least for the dangerous business of space flight.

NASA, for all its shortcomings, continues to perform miracles daily. Yes, the failures are remembered longer and more vividly than most of the successes. But NASA’s record is, I think, still worthy of high praise.

The next challenge

As NASA develops their next manned space program, Constellation, we will hear about every difficulty. We will hear people saying that NASA did it wrong, that the problems won’t be overcome. And, or course, we will hear about cost over-runs and that NASA is careless with taxpayers money.

To this I say:

1. Problems are expected. As in the past, NASA can be expected to overcome them.
2. Space travel is still difficult and in many ways experimental. New spacecraft, like new weapons systems, are nearly impossible to budget for. Nobody knows what it will cost in advance. That’s the cost of progress.
3. The benefits of space travel are greater than science. It inspires people, challenges the imagination…and advances skills in engineering and other areas. These benefits are incalculable.

Like the NASA team and astronauts of Apollo 13, we should continue to push ahead and meet the challenges we set for ourselves. That’s the way we grow as people and as a nation.