The Nation - News from Aug. 20, 1989

A panel of scientific experts urged that rescue vehicles be standard equipment for future space stations. The report to NASA by the National Research Council also recommended that a “crew emergency rescue vehicle” be mandatory for the space station Freedom and warned that the crew’s health and safety is vital to the “ultimate success” of the $24-billion space station project. NASA is currently studying possible designs for such a vehicle, but no final decisions have been made, officials said. NASA had considered setting up a “safe haven” in the space station, where crew members would wait for outside help to be sent from Earth in event of an emergency. But the lack of an on-board rescue craft drew sharp criticism from the 10-member advisory panel.