One Small Step for Man; One Misstep for Mankind...

 

 

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings"

 

High Flight

John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Not too long ago, we marked the 40 year anniversary of mankind's first landing on the Moon. This event, like the day President Kennedy was shot, the attack on 9/11 or Pearl Harbor is etched into our memories like a bookmark on a computer. If you asked someone of the appropriate age, most could tell you where they were and what they were doing the moment Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon and uttered, "One small step for man and one giant leap for mankind".

Those were wonderful days for not only the United States, but also the world. In the early 1960's, President Kennedy challenged the nation to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Our technology was minimal at best. We had successes with the Mercury and Gemini Programs, but this was different. To propel three human beings out of low Earth orbit, send them hurtling towards the Moon in a space capsule hooked up to a LEM (Lunar Excursion Module), land, explore, and take off (with no problems) was almost more science fiction than science. However, as a nation, we mostly agreed that this was worth the investment and the risk. During that time, there were some, but not many, protestations saying that we should feed the hungry or ameliorate poverty rather than explore a dead rock 240,000 miles away.

After the first landing, this was a time of a national victory! We did it by using less technology than most of us have in today's cell phones. We used spit, chewing gum and a whole lot of national resolve to be the first to plant our feet, our flag on something other than Earth. By the way - forget all the crap that the Moon landing did not happen - it really did. We had the technology in 1969 (barely) to do it and we do today. We had nothing to gain by staging this event at a Warner Brothers back lot to fool gullible, tax paying Americans.

With all this being said, what is now our national purpose in space? Quite simply, the past 40 plus years since 1969 have betrayed Neil Armstrong's infamous words. We have not done the "giant leap for mankind" - quite the contrary, we have done practically nothing in the colonization of the Moon. In fact, other than bringing back some moon rocks, we have done little. All of our successes in space (which have been many) have been adjunct to the success of the past lunar landings.

Recently, we lost Neil Armstrong, our greatest space pioneer. In addition, one by one, we had the entire space shuttle fleet retired. Now they all sit as museums at different locations throughout the country. If we need to go up to the International Space Station, we need to hitch a ride on a Russian rocket. Unbelievable.

In the business world, questions on return on investment or value proposition are frequently asked. In other words, it would be paramount on the part of NASA to explain (in simple terms) to the United States taxpayers what we hope to gain by going back to the Moon. For example, does it make sense to establish a Moon base where low gravity experiments can be conducted that would yield results not obtainable on Earth? Does it make sense to this Moon base to be "bunkered in" to offer more safety (from radiation and fast moving space junk) than the International Space Station? Is there mining for much needed minerals that we can economically harvest and bring back to Earth? Anything else?

Forty years ago it was good for our national soul to do the almost impossible. Today, it is imperative that we do the practical. Many have asked "wither NASA?". I too, have wondered what we are gaining by each unmanned probe, each shuttle flight. Other than the Hubble, I have trouble seeing the tangible results. If we are gaining value, it is incumbent on NASA to explain to us what that value is and how we are going to utilize it. Don't get me wrong - I am not against the exploring space - I am for it. I just want NASA to do the right thing and show us a path rather than a dead end like we experienced in 1972 when the last LEM left the surface of the Moon and slipped into history rather than science.