Yesterday was Valentines Day. More correctly, Saint Valentines Day, where we celebrate love and affection for those we cherish most.
No mother should have to see her child die, much less her grandchild and be present at the stillbirth of the third generation of her progeny.
Yes, I received the obligatory flowers and candy and while I am surrounded by the love of my worldly children, but I cannot help but weep for the loss I am feeling for my spiritual children...
I was present at the birth of Apollo, changed his diapers so to speak and watched him grow healthy, strong and mature, only to see him cut down in the prime of his life.
And I cried...
I was there, at least in spirit if not body when Shuttle was born, so lovely, so capable, so wonderful and so versatile. And now I sit here, maintaining a death watch as she draws her last breaths.
And I am crying...
And in the depths of my sadness for our lost children, I see the last of our kind, stillborn. Constellation, dead without every having had the opportunity of meeting the promise of all who had a part in her creation.
And I have no more tears to shed...
I think of those who so ably served Shuttle, and yes, even the few of us who are still around who remember Apollo, who worked on them and were there to hear the thunder of their voices as they rose so majestically toward the heavens,Yes, America's astronauts will still fly to the ISS, albeit paying $51 million for each of six seats aboard a Russian Soyuz. After that who knows. The head of Roskosmos has already gone on record giving us fair warning that following the current contract, the price tag will be much, much higher...regarding the current contract for six seats, Roskomos head Anatoly Perminov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying:
“We have an agreement until 2012 that Russia will be responsible for this. But after that? Excuse me but the prices should be absolutely different then!”
At the same time, the Russians announced they were going forward with the development of their next generation vehicle, designed to replace their venerable Soyuz.
China and India are knee deep in the development of manned programs, while we cede to them the playing field.
There is an old adage, "Nobody likes a quitter!"
Will American entrepreneurs rise to the occasion and give birth to a whole new generation of spacecraft and launch vehicles? I really don't know. Are their pockets deep enough? Again, I don't know.
Perhaps, if the companies heading up the efforts will be privately owned and not subject to stockholders demands for dividends and a return on their investment. The management of Boeing and Lockheed Martin will most assuredly decline to foot the bill, after all, they like Congress must answer to a constituency. This leaves it to folks like Bigelow and Musk and Marsden to keep the dream alive.
One thing I do know. One thing is certain. I will not live long enough to see American men and women ride aloft in a space bound vehicle that proudly proclaims...
"Made in the USA"
"I had Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Space Shuttle, and you will have this, Kai." He said.
And I believed it. Gosh help me, but I believed it.
If we're going to Mars now, I can totally get behind that, but let's have a commitment, a vision and the same publicity and excitement Constellation had.
Because I need this to be my thing.
My generation needs a great dream.
Like everything I have read from you here, Well said, I wish I could disagree or correct you on general things or details, but I can't. You've seen for plenty long enough how fickle the attention span of the American public is. (After 9/11/2001 America said we would never forget the feelings of that day, but many have) Another factor is the vote hungry politicians who control the very life of this country. Sadly, I think the US is not just entering into a gap but the end of an era. I imagine that research will continue on a very limited scale. Who knows, maybe moon/mars landings will happen in 30-60 years. But without America as a leader. Maybe I'm wrong, hope so. Future incentive for more real investment in space may only come from the great economic engine that a war cranks up. I hope I'm wrong there too. @fizzvic - Thank You for your post and for your service to NASA and the USA
The letter I wrote to Charles Bolden called for a consortium effort of the private sector, international organizations and NASA to jointly develop deep space exploration. I honestly do not see how any of us, even China and Russia, will do much more than maybe scratch the face of the Moon.
I am just not sure the WH or Congress have the vision yet, that we need now. So, yes, I share your grief, and yes if it takes twenty years for us to find out how far we have been left behind, I too will not be here to witness it.
Well said and clearly from the heart.