Informative and insightful

I want today to point readers to another blog. I thought about composing my own parallel, but this article stands on its own. Read and consider.

Eight Ridiculous Things Bigger Than NASA's Budget

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/05/27/8-ridiculous-things-bigger-than-nasas-budget/

From here, whither?

What a picturesque landing at Edwards Air Force Base by Atlantis. It was a marvelous end to a spectacular mission. There are varied and rich reasons why the operation was so exciting. I’d like to focus in on one in particular that I think is important not only for STS-125 and Hubble, but for manned space flight’s future.

The ability to work in space will determine how successful any manned undertaking is in low earth orbit, on the moon, or Mars, anywhere off the earth’s surface. The servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were designed to replace modular units referred to as orbital replacement units (ORU). That would make the tasks simple. Unfasten the ORU, slip it out, slide another in and fasten. Done. No task in zero g is simple if one has done them in 1 g all his or her life. However, this planning and design would make the tasks as simple as possible for the astronauts. Since one last mission to HST had been worked into NASA’s schedule, scientists and engineers wanted to do all they could to extend the life as much as possible.

That being the case, there were some elements that needed to be replaced which were not ORUs. They were not modular for the fast out-and-in fix. This presented engineers with the challenge of designing tools and work tasks that the astronauts could do, particularly in their bulky pressurized suits. (If you don’t think the suits make a difference in how one works, take the time to find out more by reading up on astronauts who’ve done EVA.) And then the mission specialists had to test the tools and procedures in suits in neutral buoyancy (as close as one can get to zero g on the ground for any length of time).

The end result is that the HST repair EVAs were not just more of the same thing. Some of their tasks were, but they there were those that had never been intended to be done by ‘nauts in space. Yes, there were snags and slip ups. Come on, how perfect is it on the ground in 1 g with all the tools and extras of everything not far from hand? But if one compares the unexpected with the whole end results, the uh-ohs pale in comparison to the great accomplishments of humans in space. Every task was accomplished, and the last EVA ended ahead of the time line, even with the difficulties involved in the mission.

That speaks volumes for the ability of humans, their adaptability and ability to problem solve. Perhaps we were created to live in 1 g, but this demonstrates that humans have a long range of malleability. Perhaps earth is our cradle, but as Tsiolkovsky said, one cannot stay in the cradle forever.

I think that STS-125 marks a certain point in our travel through space exploration at which humans can point to show we are able to live and work in space, wherever our space program takes us. If we can repair a telescope in orbit, what else can we do? Only the decision makers hold us back.

Hubba Hubble

STS-125 has been an amazing mission, once again for NASA. It shouldn't be a surprise. Challenging EVAs and real-time problem solving with fixed resources is becoming ordinary business for the agency and the astronauts and the EVA support teams on the ground. Rather than seeing snags and difficulties as a bad thing, these have pushed NASA to new heights as the men and women seek solutions rather than giving up and coming home, tailed tucked firmly between legs. This is the side of the story that most of the media and a good deal of people do not see. If a solar array sticks and tears, then it’s a horrible failure that shows how incompetent NASA is, so “they” say. How many times on earth do mechanical things fail…like your car perhaps. Does your inability to start your car mean you are dim or unable to understand how to turn the key and press the gas? If your car has a problem due to normal wear and tear in everyday use, does that mean the people who built it don’t know what they are doing? But that is the reaction to EVAs that do not happen with perfection.

Let us take a new perspective and see just how enterprising, hard working and determined that NASA engineers and scientists can be. They aren’t able to run down to Home Depot or even step next door to borrow a tool. Astronauts must work with what is in the shuttle or the space station. They have a limited tool box and supplies. Remember how amazed so many were when the crew of Apollo 13 built the air canister adapter from flight check list cards, tape and other found things on the space craft? Why have we lost that sense of wonder?

The crew of STS-125 performed five incredible EVAs. They were not flawless, but did anyone really expect them to be? That would be naïve. Not only did they overcome adversity and find fixes for the problems, they made repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope that were never meant to be done in space by suited men and women. And despite the snags, they finished ahead of the timeline. Where’s the wonder over that?

In a day when we need heroes, some of the most able and obvious are being relegated to a rubbish heap of screw ups instead of celebrated for their ingenuity and determination.

Hoorah for the crew of STS-125, the tool makers, the EVA planners, the men and women who get the shuttle ready to fly and the engineers who analyze the vehicle to be certain that it flies safely.

I am rarely impressed with people, being the great cynic that I am. But I am impressed, greatly. This brings back my sense of wonder. And it really makes me miss working on the shuttle, being involved in a current flight program. But it also gives me renewed enthusiasm for the Ares program. With the difficulties we are meeting and the crushing criticism, we need the model and the lesson of determination and ingenuity. The next generation launch vehicle can be as awe inspiring as the shuttle, the station and Hubble.