Proposing changes to NASA's space shuttle program ranging from abandoning manned space flight to developing a "space plane," two Duke professors and a veteran journalist debated the implications of the Columbia space shuttle tragedy Thursday night at a panel in the Teer Engineering Library.
After a brief historical introduction by Earl Dowell, J.A. Jones professor of mechanical engineering and materials sciences, Al Rossiter, director of communications for the Pratt School of Engineering, and Alex Roland, professor of history, gave brief presentations as to what actions they think should be taken following the tragedy.
Roland, who as a former historian at NASA has been widely quoted in the media following the Columbia disaster, expressed his criticism of the shuttle program. He said that NASA's first goal should be to return crews of the International Space Station, and that space science should replace human space exploration as NASA's main concentration.
"All existing space shuttles retard exploration," he said. "Most cargo in manned space shuttles is human support systems, so anything you want to do in space is 10 times more expensive if you want to send people."
He proposed that NASA convert its space station into an unmanned space platform to minimize investment into shuttle flights and allot the leftover funds to the development of new technology.
"The shuttle is a failed program that cannot be fixed, so our first priority has to be to develop a new and improved launch vehicle, and then all things will be possible. Until we bring down launch costs, it puts a limit on what we can do in space," Roland said.
Although Rossiter agreed that a new launch vehicle should be developed, he supported maintaining the current space station.
"We do have the space station in orbit now with people on board, and we need the space shuttle and many modules to service it. Also, I don't think that it's politically feasible to scrap the program," said Rossiter, who headed United Press International's Cape Canaveral bureau from 1963 to 1973. "We must demonstrate determination to do what we said we were going to do."
Rossiter noted President George W. Bush's proposed budget was developed immediately preceding the tragedy and maintains the current development plan for NASA. He said the organization hopes to keep on its same course of action, and that to do otherwise would betray the investments of other nations.
Rossiter showed slides of new, undeveloped launch shuttles, which would be cheaper, safer modes of space exploration, although he said they would take a long time to develop. He also discussed the development of a space plane, launched by an expendable rocket, which could be used as a "space lifeboat" to transport four crew members home safely.
"We are faced with a major decision - whether to fix the shuttles and keep flying them, or to proceed with a new generation of launch vehicles," Rossiter said. "I think we need to decide to do both."
Toward the end of the panel, Dowell, who served as moderator, asked for the crowd's opinion as to what should be NASA's immediate actions - to continue as is or double the investment into unmanned space science expeditions. The majority of the 30 to 40 people present favored the second option.
"I felt that professor Roland made a very compelling case. If we can do things in space at 10 percent the cost [in unmanned space shuttles], there's no reason to send humans up there," said Morgan Johansen, a junior.
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