The Hindu : International : NASA takes a giant leap of faith

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Sunday, Jul 02, 2006

International

International

NASA takes a giant leap of faith

Richard Luscombe

The mood among mission managers at the Kennedy Space Centre is upbeat

Cape Canaveral: Shortly before 20:00GMT on Saturday, Florida's notoriously volatile summer weather permitting, the shuttle Discovery will blaze into the skies on a 13-day journey of unprecedented importance to America's future in space exploration.

For NASA, still recovering from the deep wounds of the 2003 Columbia tragedy that killed seven astronauts, its reputation has never rested so completely on a single mission as it attempts to prove that it can still send humans into space and return them safely.

At stake are the final four years of space shuttle operations, the future of the half-built International Space Station (ISS) and NASA's own ambitious timeline for returning to the moon aboard a new manned space vehicle by 2018.

``NASA is on probation,'' said John Logsdon, head of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University and a member of the Columbia accident investigation board.

``The public wants NASA to be successful but people are suspending judgment. After all, there's only been one flight in the last three years.''

Mood upbeat

As the countdown continued towards an expected lift-off, the mood among mission managers at the Kennedy Space Centre was upbeat.

``We've worked hard to get to this point and we are ready to go and do what NASA does best,'' said John Shannon, deputy shuttle programme manager.

Yet not everyone at NASA shares the wave of optimism.

As Discovery's crew of seven prepare to strap into their seats on the flight deck on Saturday, controversy continues to rage over NASA's decision to press ahead with the launch despite a known safety flaw.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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