Mon, Jul 21, 2003
Poll Shows Support For Manned Spaceflight, But Need For
Redefinition
In the wake of the
Columbia tragedy, Americans remain firmly behind NASA and
manned space flight. But a new poll commissioned by the Houston
Chronicle shows people don't want to return to space without a
new set of goals -- reasons for being there.
More than two-thirds of the 800 people questioned by Zogby
International said NASA is doing an excellent or good job of
directing the nation's space program. An overwhelming majority, 83
percent, said they thought it was important to the country's
international prestige to have humans flying in space.
Keep 'Em Flying
That could be cause for a big sigh of relief at both the Kennedy
and Johnson space centers. "Support for a manned space program has
always been strong, and no president has been willing to cancel
it," said Roger Launius, a historian with the National Air and
Space Museum and former senior NASA historian. "It is a consensus
that lasts in this nation. This poll confirms that, and no elected
officials are going to challenge that."
The poll shows, while Americans are bullish on continued shuttle
flights, they're a little less certain whether the remaining space
planes have aged to the point where they're just too dangerous.
Simply put, the poll shows, most Americans want the whole nature of
the shuttle program rethought and redefined.
Fifty-four percent of
those polled said the CAIB shouldn't focus only on the cause of the
Columbia disaster. Instead, the majority asked believes
NASA should take a broader look at the direction the space program
is going. Forty-three percent said the board should focus narrowly
on the cause of the accident, fix the problems and get back to
flying as quickly as possible.
Where From Here?
Forty percent of those asked said building a new orbiter to
replace the aging space shuttles should be NASA's top priority.
Thirty percent said the space agency's top task should be finishing
the international space station. Another 10 percent said NASA has
to establish a base on the moon. Finally, 9 percent said going to
Mars should be the priority.
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