Remembering NASA Disasters With an Eye Toward the Future

mattnyc99 writes "This next week marks the anniversary of three sad days in NASA's history: three astronauts died in a capsule fire testing for Apollo 1 exactly 42 years ago today, then the Challenger went down 23 years ago tomorrow, followed by the Columbia disaster six years ago this Super Bowl Sunday. Amidst all this sadness, though, too many average Americans take our space program for granted. Amidst reconsiderations of NASA priorities from the Obama camp as the Shuttle nears retirement, then, the brilliant writer Chris Jones offers a great first-hand account in the new issue of Esquire — an impassioned argument against the impending end of our manned space program. In which camp do you fall: mourner or rocketeer?"

Comments

Re:Oversensitivity

[rbanffy]

I have no problem with them giving their lives to advance the science and practice of space travel. What I object to is them giving their lives to enrich a few government contractors that sell overpriced equipment that's less reliable than it should be.

The people on the ground have bigger responsibilities than to secure their jobs. Most of them never forget it, but NASA must make sure nobody does.

As for the unavoidable comparison with the so called "war on terror", there are a lot of people sacrificing themselves for all the wrong reasons.

Re:Danger isn't the problem

[ThreeE]

"But if the public could be made to understand the value of this program maybe interest would revive in space again. "

Please "make" me understand the value of this program.