Former Astronaut Glenn Criticizes Bush Space Plan

Yahoo News ^

[KantianBurke]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. space pioneer John Glenn said on Thursday that President Bush (news - web sites)'s space exploration plan "pulls the rug out from under our scientists" and might waste too much money to ever put astronauts on Mars.

Glenn, a retired Democratic senator from Ohio and the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth, said NASA (news - web sites) should not abandon research on the International Space Station (news - web sites) and questioned the advisability of using the moon as a stepping stone to Mars.

His stinging rebuke of the Bush plan came in testimony before the presidential commission charged with developing a strategy for building a permanent base on the moon, then sending astronauts on to Mars. The commission met at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Glenn's home state of Ohio.

The octogenarian space pioneer's most cutting comments were reserved for NASA's plans to gut the International Space Station of a once-ambitious research agenda, limiting science only to studies applicable to the moon and Mars program.

"We have projects that are planned or in the queue now, projects that people -- academics and laboratories and companies -- have spent millions of dollars to get ready," Glenn said. "That pulls the rug out from under our scientists who placed their faith in NASA, and our scientists within NASA who devoted years and years to their work."

Glenn said basic research had always been part of the human space flight program, dating back to his own three-orbit flight in 1962: "We tried to get everything we could on to every flight back in those days."

He said cutting the research component of the space station program would save only about $2.5 million.

"I think we're voluntarily stopping some of the most unique, cutting-edge research in the history of the whole world. Now we're going to let other nations do it and they'll be able to benefit from it. I just don't think that's right. I think that's a mistake. For a few bucks, we could continue this research," he said.

NASA spokesman Glen Mahone said research aboard the space station will continue but will be limited to the effects of space flight on human physiology.

"We're going to do the research that's important for us to fulfill the president's vision," Mahone said.

Glenn said he would support returning to the moon for research purposes, but urged the panel to seriously consider whether building habitable moon bases as a stepping stone to Mars was cost effective.

"In effect you're making a Cape Canaveral out on the moon. It would be a smaller one, I'm sure, but it would be enormously complex," Glenn said. "It just seems to me the direct-to-Mars (route) is the way to go."

He warned NASA might "use up all our money on the moon and never get to Mars." One commission member, Neil de Grasse Tyson, an astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, called Glenn's testimony "refreshing in its candor."

[KantianBurke]

Shouldn't this guy be more worried about having a solid bowel movement?

[TomServo]

Shouldn't this guy be more worried about having a solid bowel movement?

Well - there goes dinner.

[Fitzcarraldo]

give Glenn a one way ticket to the station to do his 'research'.

[FormerLib]

John Glenn was probably my very first hero when I was growing up.

I grew so disgusted with him during his defense of the dispicable Bill Clinton that I can't even stand to think about Glenn.

What a disgrace "Mr. Clean Marine" ended up becoming.

STFU Senator Glenn!

[buffyt]

Glenn loses my respect a little more every time he opens his big fat stupid mouth. I feel better now, getting that off my chest. Why couldn't he have just remained a space hero?!?!?!??!

[atomicpossum]

Glenn was an American hero right up until the time he threw himself on his sword to cover up the Democrat's criminal campaign financing. Now he's just another decrepit, corrupt embarassment.

[VOA]

"We have projects that are planned or in the queue now, projects that people -- academics
and laboratories and companies -- have spent millions of dollars to get ready," Glenn said.

As disgusted as I became with Glenn, The Clinton Apologist, he is highlighting
a real, substantive controversy in the space world:
how are the dollars divided between the "space scientists" who want to
study phenonmenon in space, e.g., human/animal physiology
VERSUS
the rocket-type guys who want to send probes "out there".

This battle royale got pretty good coverage in a recent issue of the journal "Science".

[Dog Gone]

You know, I'll bet a nickle he had a different reaction when President Kennedy outlined his vision for space exploration, even though it was somewhat similar.

Here's the good news, John. The acturarial tables indicate you'll be dead before man lands on Mars, so you'll miss out on the excitement.

[CWOJackson]

Hmmmm.

Isn't this the same Glenn who sold out to Clinton for another ride into space?

[smith288]

What does Glenn know about Mars and the Moon? He sad in a pod in space...that makes him an expert on interplanetary exploration now?

Hey Glenn, why don't you stump for "free" COSI (Columbusites know what I mean) somewhere and leave the relevant people to their business of running space exploration.

[Dog Gone]

The space station and NASA were struggling to have a reason to exist. Oh, let's take up some spiders in the space shuttle and see what kinds of webs they weave.

At least they have some focus now.

[sport]

glenn sold his soul to the clinton crime cartel long ago.

Also one always critizes their betters.

[buffyt]

Everyone remember to pray for our astronaut who is in the space station right now. Michael Foale US astronaut is in the international space station. He is BRAZOSPORT TEXAS'S FAVORITE ASTRONAUT - as he has been here many time to speak. He has logged MANY hours in space and once told me he would LOVE to go on the first Mars mission! Really nice man.

Michael Foale NASA BIO on Michael Foale
Hook up in Jan with Kings School UK
Michael Foale
Michael Foale

After five space flights, the British-born astronaut Michael Foale, 46, has become a veteran of the US space programme. Foale is one of the most experienced astronauts in Nasa history More details He has spent over 178 days in space and has clocked up more than 18 hours of spacewalk time. He lived on the Russian space station Mir for four-and-a-half months in 1997 and is about to command the International Space Station. All this for a British schoolboy who dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut. Michael Foale was born in England in the Lincolnshire market town of Louth in 1957. After boarding school in Canterbury, he studied physics at Cambridge University, completing a degree in astrophysics in 1982. He then moved to Houston, Texas, to work for the US space programme and was selected as an astronaut candidate by Nasa in 1987. Actually, he is up there NOW. He has a wife and two lovely children. Keep his safety in your prayers, please.

[jimt]

Shouldn't "Former Astronaut" be "Former Astronaut, Current Prostitute" ?

[VOA]

Oh, let's take up some spiders in the space shuttle and see what kinds of webs they weave.

As a biochemist who heard all the amazing things awaiting us from space station/Shuttle
research (e.g., huge, perfect crystals of biologcal molecules!)...
only to never hear about them again...I know what you mean.

I'm no expert, but my naive feeling is that the US guvmint/NASA should pioneer
cheap, easy ways to get into space...to provide a reasonably priced
infrastructure so that universities/institutes/private groups could get
their space-science projects "up-there" at lowest cost.

And then go on to finding the "fast, best, and cheapest" way to get onto
the other space destinations like the Moon, Mars, etc.

AND, my human feeling is that space travel will ALWAYS be hazardous.
Thus most of the early work of exploring/mining the Moon/Mars should be left to
robotic probes.
Don't try to send flesh-and-blood until the robots have set up the pleasure domes,
hot-tubs, sports bars, and the strip-joints on Mars/The Moon!
I'm all for "making whoopy" in zero-to-one-sixth gravity, but folks shouldn't
be needlessly dying to make it possible!

[adam_az]

I could swear I head him praise the plan a month ago on TV.

Wonder what spot Jean Cherie offered him.

[Dog Gone]

Don't try to send flesh-and-blood until the robots have set up the pleasure domes, hot-tubs, sports bars, and the strip-joints on Mars/The Moon!

Or the moons of Mars!

[webheart]

I grew so disgusted with him during his defense of the dispicable Bill Clinton that I can't even stand to think about Glenn.

And don't forget he was one of the Keating Five, way back before Clinton even ran for president.

[onedoug]

Selfish bastronaut.

[NonZeroSum]

my human feeling is that space travel will ALWAYS be hazardous.

Fortunately, your "human feeling" has little to do with reality. Space will become less dangerous as we get more experience with it, and develop better vehicles and techniques, just as was the case with aviation.

I'm all for "making whoopy" in zero-to-one-sixth gravity, but folks shouldn't be needlessly dying to make it possible!

So, should we have waited until we had construction robots before we built the Golden Gate Bridge? Or the Empire State Building? People "needlessly" died doing those things.

Who are you to decide whether or not a death is "needless"?