Young and Crippen's STS-1 flew in 1981: 30 years later, I sense that we accomplished plenty

'It was pure excitement'

Beaumont native Bob Crippen was a pilot on the first manned shuttle flight 30 years ago, an experience he likened to being catapulted off the deck of an aircraft carrier

 

July 7, 2011 (from the HOUSTON CHRONICLE) --

 

Columbia's crew compartment was pretty bare bones for the early test flights. [Robert] Crippen has compared it to "camping out" in space. He got a chance to go up on the shuttle three more times, logging a total of 565 hours in space. Those missions had full crews and a different purpose, giving him the opportunity to really look around and enjoy the experience.

 

To no one's surprise, Crippen is an unapologetic space shuttle fan and promoter.

 

For all the system's problems and unexpected costs, he has not a dollop of doubt that the investment of so many billions on it was money well spen

"If you look back at the 130-plus flights, it was phenomenal," he said. "We wouldn't have been able to repair the Hubble Space Telescope or build the International Space Station without it. Yes, people were overly optimistic about how often you could fly or how much it would cost. And yes, we lost some people, some dear friends, along the way. But I have no doubt it was worth it. None at all."

 

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/7643968.html#ixzz1RWLfAl6w

 

 

Like many kids in the early 1980s, I remember well the first Space Shuttle launch. I was barely a teenager in April of 1981. Growing up only 60 miles away from the Kennedy Space Center, in Ormond Beach, Fla. I was a fortunate boy, I felt, since I got to see the Shuttle go up from my neighborhood.

 

I wasn't born in Florida, but in Massachusetts, and we had moved to Florida in January of 1980, barely more than a year prior to the first launch, so I felt especially fortunate that I would be able to see the launch with nothing but sky between it and my two eyes.

 

I've been able to see many more launches since then, though I moved out of Florida for nine years. I moved back in early 2003, and had not even settled in a home the day that the Shuttle Columbia exploded on entry.

 

I visited KSC in May 2011, and toured the Visitor's Center's own Space Shuttle, the Explorer (it never flew, it is the static exhibit). I came to a realization that, while the program did not meet the goals that were intially proposed, it was not coming to a close without a clear sense of conclusion.

 

The Space Shuttle Program had assured the completion of a very significant long-term mission in 2011: that of the finishing of the construction of the International Space Station. So was it "Mission Accomplished"? Sure. It was revised, embattled, hit by tragedies, and cut back, but not a tragic program. 

 

As astronaut Bob Crippen reflected (quoted above), on the program he saw the beggining of, along with thousands of engineers, researchers, and workers of many kinds, it was worth it, it did things that we could not have managed to do ithout it.

 

The ISS is completed, and as I wandered with my wife at KSC Visitor's Center, I had a sense of a fitting conclusion. Perfection is rarely the result of a massive, long-range program such as the NASA goals with the Space Shuttle.

 

I hope we get back up there soon with the next phase from the shores of the United States!

 

 

- Jon O

Posted via email from Jon Osterholm :: WMBC :: posterous