The United States' space program, long the dream of visionary scientists, was given life by John F. Kennedy, who said in his 1961 inaugural address on a bitterly cold January day that he wanted Americans to "explore the stars." On a warm spring day just months later, he told the nation that it "should commit itself, to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." Americans accepted and met the challenge. Along the way, they created a program marked by astonishing achievement and marred by mind-numbing tragedy.
Now, 50 years later, a part of the nation's space program that is a direct descendant of the United States' earliest forays into space quickly is coming to a close. By mid-summer, the nation's space shuttles will have made their last flights and will be retired. Where they go then is one of the more intriguing questions floating around the nation's capital these days. There is no immediate answer forthcoming. There is, however, considerable speculation.
The question is not an idle one. It is, in fact, an important one made more current by the Discovery's return from its final flight last Wednesday. The other active shuttles - Endeavour and Atlantis - are scheduled to make their last trips in April and June, respectively. What happens to the shuttles next will indicate how the nation intends to preserve and to commemorate an important part of its history.
Preserved in a museum
There's no doubt that the shuttles will be preserved in a museum. They will not be allowed, thank goodness, to rust away in the open air like some of the iconic rockets of the space program's early days. The nation's understanding and appreciation of its history have improved since the decisions were made that allowed that to occur.
It's not every day that a space shuttle is available for display. Consequently, there's little precedent for deciding where they will go. Logistics and money have to be considered. A writer for The New York Times neatly framed the issues when he wrote:
"Condition: 27 years old, 150 million miles traveled, somewhat dinged but well maintained.
"Price: $0.
"Dealer preparation and destination charges: $28.8 million."
It's the last phrase that quickly gets one's attention. Not many museums have $28.8 million to spend - even if the object of desire is a space shuttle. Others would have difficulty honoring the NASA mandate that the shuttles have to be exhibited in an indoor-climate controlled-environment and that extensive educational programs have to be developed to accompany the exhibit. The number of places that can afford to pay the price and meet the requirements is limited.
Still, there's been spirited competition to house the shuttles. That's understandable. Having that piece of history in its collection would be a feather in the cap of any museum. It would undoubtedly attract huge, and likely profitable, crowds.
The front-runner, if there is one, is probably the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. It already is home to a vast collection of related items. NASA, in fact, already has had discussions with the museum, and money is unlikely to be a problem. A bill passed by Congress late last year exempts the Smithsonian from paying the $28.8 million fee.
If the Smithsonian becomes home to Discovery, there's no lack of competition to house the Endeavour or the Atlantis. More than 21 museums applied to NASA to become home to a shuttle. Especially strong cases seem to have been made by the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Both have direct and long-standing connections to U.S. space flight. The former is where the shuttles are launched, and the latter is the site of mission control, which guides the shuttles during flight. That has not deterred other museums from submitting proposals.
The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Manhattan; the Museum of Flight in Seattle; the California Science Center in Los Angeles; and the Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio, also are thought to have made especially effective pleas. The decision about where to house the shuttles is expected April 12. The date is extraordinarily appropriate. It is the 30th anniversary of the initial launching of a space shuttle.
No rumors, gossip
One of the more remarkable things about events surrounding the decision regarding the eventual home of the Discovery, the Endeavour and the Atlantis is the apparent lack of rumors or gossip about the selection process. If there's been any politicking in Congress or heavy lobbying by parties with interests in the eventual choice, both have been done so discreetly that it has passed below the usually sensitive antennas of the Washington media.
Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., the NASA chief who will make the decision, has been tight-lipped. He said at the outset that he and only he would make the decision, and has said little else on the subject since. That's conduct that deserves widespread emulation in the nation's capital.
Whatever decision Bolden makes, it will be just the start of a long process. NASA still will have to clean the vehicles and strip them of parts that might be contaminated by toxic propellants. That could take up to a year. That should provide time for the host museums to prepare exhibit space and to create programs to inform the multitudes who are sure to come to see the spacecraft that are such a meaningful component of U.S. history.