Astronaut: We Should Have Kept the Shuttles Flying

The end of the space shuttle program without a functioning replacement launch vehicle has been a topic of considerable debate, even among people who support NASA and the space program.

My view is that putting the shuttle out to pasture now helps us focus our resources and our attention on more quickly developing the next generation of space vehicles that will use newer, better, safer technologies to do even more than the shuttle could. Speeding that development along is the priority. As with many difficult issues, however, reasonable people can reasonably disagree and I understand and appreciate the opinions of others on this topic.

I've talked to several NASA and space industry insiders about the decision to retire the space shuttles at this time and, even among themselves, they have differing opinions. Most recently, I spoke about the end of the space shuttle program with Scott Parazynski, a NASA astronaut who flew on five space shuttle missions totaling 8 weeks in space with 47 hours of EVA time.

[Related: Former NASA Chief of Staff: Why it's time to retire the space shuttle]

With the recent mothballing of the space shuttle program, many people are saying that it looks like a decline in the capabilities of the U.S. space program, either a permanent loss of our leadership position or at least a set-back for a number of years. What is your view on that?

Parazynski: Well, I don't think it's a permanent malady. I think there's some reason for optimism, actually, in terms of the opening of a new frontier in commercial access to low Earth orbit. It's the creation of a new American industry. The companies that are in the forefront of commercial spaceflight are all American: Space-X, Blue Origin, Boeing and Lockheed, Sierra Nevada, Virgin Galactic, and Masten Space Systems. They're doing incredible things.

[Related: When will Virgin Galactic be ready to start commercial space flights?]

Within the next several years, we'll have the ability to take people to and from low Earth orbit. I'm very excited about that new frontier. It's sort of like the early phases of commercial aviation almost a hundred years ago, that fledgling, nascent industry.

The area that I'm concerned about for NASA's future is the lack of a clear-cut vision for what will come next and the budget and milestones to accomplish it. Ultimately, I think it's important for us to set our sights on going to Mars. I'm concerned that, in these economic times, we could get passed by other nations who are more dedicated to the advancement of human exploration.

Do you think it was the right time to retire the shuttles?

Parazynski: Ah! If I had been king for a day, I would have stretched out the shuttle program until such point as we have a reliable means to get our own crews up to the international space station. It might have been a challenge for funding, it might have stretched out the time line for follow on vehicles, but I really don't think America should have given up its capacity to launch its own crews.

After the Columbia accident, you were served as the Astronaut Lead for Space Shuttle Thermal Inspection and Repair, so you knew the risks of re-entry as well as, or better than anyone else. Did you ever have doubts about what you were doing, that this was really putting your own life at risk?

Parazynski: Well, that's a great question, and I was affected profoundly as was everyone who was around for Columbia by that accident. I dedicated the next two and a half years to developing the tools and techniques to repair a shuttle on orbit should it ever happen again. So I decided that if I really believed in the things that I was working on, I should believe in it enough to go fly again. So, to honor the crew that was lost and basically display my resolve and the belief in what I was working on, I resolved to fly one more time, and that's what I did.

It certainly is the most complex vehicle ever built by humans. It's really challenging to get off the planet and bring it back home. There's a lot of energy involved. You know that everyone who works on the program puts in their very best and does everything in their capacity to make it as safe and successful as possible.

[Related: Shuttle rocket scientist recalls the Return to Space effort after Challenger disaster]

I also believe in the importance of the work we were doing. The benefits of the work outweighed the risk in my mind and I still believe that. Going into space and using it as a laboratory and a springboard to explore the solar system, that's something that's human destiny and we, as Americans and an international collaborative team, need to go do.

You retired from NASA in 2009. Did you ever consider signing up with one of the private space companies?

Parazynski: Yes, I did. I support the space industry as an independent adviser and consultant.

I currently serve as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Methodist Hospital Research Institute and it's a really amazing opportunity to leverage the skills that I've acquired over the years to lead innovation in a really exciting area at a time when innovation is truly needed. The pressures on health care are enormous.

Meanwhile, the technology advancements in other fields, in particular nanotechnology, genomics and proteomics, really make it an exciting place to be. I'm able to do a lot of the same sort of things that I love, to invent, to work on highly motivated teams here at Methodist and also keep my finger on the pulse of the space industry.

[Related: Why you may remember where you where when you heard about the Challenger Disaster]

While we may disagree about on which particular stepping stones we should place our feet as we take our first baby steps into space, those who support the space program at all agree that the advancement of scientific knowledge, the leaps in practical technologies, and the expansion of human possibilities represented by the space program and the pursuit of grand goals that push the limits of our capabilities are not only a worthwhile endeavor, but a national priority.

The incidental technologies developed in support of the space program provide immediate and practical benefits to clean energy, medicine, aviation and many other industries. It is these high tech industries that will fuel our nation's next economic boom if we have the courage to maintain our status as a world leader in scientific exploration even when economic conditions make that difficult.