Houston, you have a problem...

We have just spent the day at Space Center Houston which is the visitor’s centre of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centre; the mission control for all US space endeavours. No shuttles are launched from this site however, that all happens at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I asked why they decided to build the mission control so far from the actual launch site and the primary reason was Russia! Apparently the US was so certain that the Soviets were going to bomb they made a tactical decision to split their space stations across the country so not to have all their eggs in one basket. The Kennedy site deals with all the launches and landings but once the shuttles are in orbit it is over to Houston to control the missions. The majority of the astronauts also train in Houston and live in the area.

Perhaps the space centre is most famous for an often misquoted line from an astronaut aboard Apollo 13; “Houston, we’ve had a problem here”. Well I believe it’s now Houston that has a problem. Whilst there is plenty to do at the visitors centre and we did enjoy spending the whole day there, everything has a slight ‘old news’ feeling about it. The tram tour of the working buildings wasn’t as fascinating as you might imagine a space programme training centre to be. It was very interesting getting a look at all the life size replica models of the International Space Station, the space shuttles and the equipment they use to replicate working with no gravity but it all looks slightly tired now. The exhibits inside the visitors centre are all a lot of fun but the whole aura in the building is one of a museum more than an exhibition of America’s futuristic frontier into the great unknown. Bear in mind that the last man to step foot on the moon did so in 1972!

However, the biggest problem facing Houston, NASA and in my opinion the US is the Government’s decision to retire the Space Shuttle programme. The shuttles are the huge white, plane shaped vehicles that they strap onto the rockets and launch into space. Since 1981 NASA has been sending these shuttles into space for manned missions. Their main aim was to supply pieces and build the International Space Station. Since the ISS is due for completion next year, and the US economy is in tatters, President Obama has decided to end the Space Shuttle Programme meaning the last launch will take place next summer. This may seem like a wise economic decision, however it now means the US have been forced into an agreement with Russia to purchase space on their Soyuz Shuttle (at a price of over $50 Million per seat with significant increases expected in the near future) to get a US astronaut to low level orbit or the space station.

The problem with the Russian’s Soyuz is that it wasn't designed to carry large pay loads of cargo like the US shuttles and therefore if there are any major repairs or spare parts needed for the ISS, in the words of a NASA official I spoke to, ‘we better hope someone else figures a way to get them up there’. In my opinion, and it appears many other past and present astronauts (click here) this is leaving the US’ space ventures at the mercy of Russia and as far as the Space Race goes, the US may have won the first battle but the war isn’t over. With the US owing over $700 Billion to China and now having to eat out of Russia’s hands as well they are quickly losing their position as one of the world’s great powers.