A MESSAGE FROM NASA

UPFRONT WITH . . .

Dr. Frank Schowengerdt
Associate Director for Innovative Partnerships
Exploration Systems Research & Technology Division
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters

A VISION OF HOPE

At long last, NASA and the nation have a vision for our future in space. It’s not the first one we’ve had, but for many of us who can remember President John F. Kennedy’s ringing call to “land a man on the moon and bring him back safely in this decade,” it’s one that can be every bit as much a vision of hope.

In the 1960s we were mired in an intractable war that divided us, we were struggling to live up to our constitutional promise of equal treatment for all and we were fearful of losing our scientific and technical leadership. The nation was destabilized by assassinations of its best leaders and by riots in every major city. In the midst of that turmoil, our spirits were lifted and we were filled with hope that we could all work together in an endeavor that would move mankind off this planet for the first time in our history and return immeasurable benefits for all.

That other vision encouraged thousands of young people to enter fields of science, mathematics and engineering. I was one of those people. Like many others I was filled with pride when the first astronauts set foot on the moon and I was deeply gratified in the knowledge that the space program was delivering important benefits to people back here on Earth at the same time. Most important of all, I sensed that it was providing a focus on what united us rather than what divided us.

But somewhere along the way we lost that focus. To be sure, we have accomplished many amazing feats in space since then, and we’re still reaping the benefits, but in the midst of our troubles we forgot how the space program had motivated a whole generation and we abandoned the vision of permanently moving mankind off this planet.

The parallels between our situations then and now are striking. Now we’re immersed in a war on terror that threatens our stability, we’re in danger of losing our technical leadership because enrollments in scientific fields are once again declining and we’re a nation divided on a host of issues.

That’s why the announcement by President George W. Bush of a new vision for space exploration was such a welcome one. The goals of the new vision state very clearly and succinctly why we explore and how it can benefit our country. Those statements ring especially true to those of us who lived through the Apollo era.

In many ways the new vision is even more exciting than the old one because it’s so fundamentally different - this time we’re going to stay! It’s not a crash program with fixed timelines. It truly is going to be a journey, not a destination. And because it represents a permanent change in the way we think about space, it’s a vision that can motivate generations for years to come. It can lift our spirits like the first one did.

We can sustain the vision this time if we remember one of the most important lessons we thought we learned back then; that as we seek “to extend life to there” we must never forget that we’re also called “to improve life here.” Exploration of space accelerates innovation on Earth.

That’s the thrust of this issue’s cover story. That’s the way to make the Vision for Space Exploration a vision of hope.

NASA Official: Jonathan Root • Web Design: Printing & Design Office, NASA Headquarters • Credits