Science At NASA

As a young child, I, like countless others, was spellbound by space and space travel as brought to me by the National Aeronautics & Space Administration. The wonders of faraway galaxies captured by its telescopes, the mystique of Saturn's rings calling out to be visited by space probes, and the thought of bouncing around on the moon in a spacesuit were all very captivating. In fact, it was this fascination that drew me to math and science—key areas for an aspiring astronaut.

Although my career path has not led me to becoming an astronaut, I still am captivated by the scientific discoveries that lie beyond Earth's atmosphere. Whether viewing the latest images from the Mars rovers or the Hubble Space Telescope or reading about a new material being developed to make the space shuttle safer, I always find news about space interesting.

It appears, however, that the future of NASA's science programs is uncertain. In President Bush's 2007 budget request, a number of the agency's science missions were cut or delayed to free up resources so that NASA can develop the replacement for the aging space shuttles, which are set to be retired by 2010. For example, the Hydros mission to study global soil moisture through a satellite system has been cut, and whole missions, such as the Mars Sample Return, have been delayed indefinitely.

These adjustments to science missions have some people worried that NASA may no longer inspire youngsters to study math and science.

"NASA's science programs have helped to nurture and develop generations of scientists and engineers through university-based research, participation in space science missions, and data analysis," said House Science Committee Ranking Member Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) at a hearing in March. "But NASA's proposed budget plan puts all of that at serious risk."

Gordon and others in Congress are concerned specifically with the cuts to research within NASA's Exploration Systems directorate, which is funding the Moon to Mars Initiative. Gordon notes that funding for fundamental and applied life and microgravity sciences research has been virtually eliminated to free more money for next-generation spacecraft.

The research to which Gordon refers falls within NASA's Human Systems Research & Technology area. In the proposed 2007 budget, funding for this area would drop by 56% to $274.6 million. This is in contrast to the 76% increase to $3.1 billion for Constellation Systems, which is where development of new spacecraft falls.

Basic biological and physical sciences are also taking a hit from work being planned for the International Space Station (ISS). According to agency documents, "discipline-focused research programs (Physical Sciences Research and Fundamental Space Biology) were de-emphasized and replaced with exploration-oriented research and technology programs that address specific needs of exploration architecture."

This de-emphasis means that ISS will not be the science and research laboratory originally described by NASA to Congress and the American people. Instead, it will be used for long-term human health studies, space technology testing, and other areas related to human space travel.

All this comes as NASA celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first shuttle flight and as the agency works feverishly to return the shuttle fleet to space. But just as the agency struggles to align its budget with its new exploration goals, it also faces several technical issues that are delaying the shuttles' return to flight.

The biggest problem sidelining the shuttles is that insulating foam keeps falling off the craft's large external fuel tank during lift-off and ascent. Engineers are currently testing a new foam application technique.

Also hampering a potential shuttle launch is a recurring glitch with fuel sensors, as well as a problem called "tin whiskers," which is a circuit board defect that could lead to short circuits in several critical systems. Tin whiskers may threaten the currently scheduled July launch of the shuttle Discovery.

These technical problems aside, a series of minor accidents is also raising concern about returning the shuttles to space. For example, in March, the robotic arm of the shuttle Discovery was dented when technicians inside a platform device accidentally bumped into the arm. It had to be sent to the manufacturer in Canada for repairs.

Also last month, thermal tiles on the space shuttle Endeavour were damaged when an X-ray film processor was dropped by a technician and banged into the shuttle. One tile had to be removed and repaired. And in yet another accident reported in March, a light stand being used by technicians working on the nose cap of the external tank fell while being repositioned. The mishap caused minor damage to the foam insulation, which is being repaired.

Between scaling back on science and grounding the shuttles, NASA is in jeopardy of losing the essence of what made it so alluring to young people. And if that happens, it will truly be a loss for science.

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS.