Re: Lost in nostalgia

["Frederick S. Lane III" <fsl3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 10:09 AM 1/16/1998 -0800, you wrote:
>12:02   NASA CONFIRMS SEN. JOHN GLENN TO GO INTO SPACE AS PAYLOAD SPECIALIST.
>
>Couldn't have anything to do with nostalgia, could it? What does it say
>about the public relations of the space program -- until now the epitome of
>futurism -- when it begins to recycle its relics?
>
>Regards,
>
>Tom Walker

So what's the big deal? It makes more sense than having Gordy Hull or Minnie Minoso play in however many decades they each allegedly played. Besides, it helps to make NASA relevant again for all of the aging baby boomers in Congress, who were in their early and late teens when Glenn first when up. It reminds them that even if we're on our way to making orbital flight routine, it wasn't that long ago when accomplishing the feat was epochal.

Even if the scientific arguments for sending Glenn up are largely a crock (which I think they basically are), it's a terrific story, and it will give NASA the perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the glory days of the space program. As long as the shuttle doesn't blow up with Glenn on it (and you can bet that will be the most closely inspected shuttle since the one after the Challenger), it seems like a no-lose situation.

And to be fair, I don't think that we're going to see a sudden rush of septuagenarian shuttle astronauts. They're planning on putting Glenn through real training (nobody has any desire to have him keel over in space) and I suspect that the number of former astronauts (particularly from the Right Stuff era) who could pull it off is a very small universe of people. NASA has a raft of fit, trim, and very bright 28-40 year-olds, and I suspect this will be a one-shot deal.

I'm looking forward to it.

Regards,

Fred Lane
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