NASA’s Future

* Re “Inspiration but Also a Question,” editorial, June 30: JPL scientists are developing a planetary probe to reach Saturn in search of the clues to life’s origins. Meanwhile, NASA is also funding manned space flight in pursuit of an international space station. The issue you raise over whether to spend precious funds on exploratory probes or manned space flight is one that NASA has been struggling with for a couple of years now.

The idea of manned space flight is not to imitate “Star Trek-like adventures” as you state, but to explore further medical developments and other experiments benefiting mankind. The real question is whether the various experiments conducted aboard the space shuttle are more valuable than planetary probes that explore the origins of man. Put in terms of medical advancements, there can be no question that NASA funds and taxpayers are better served by manned space flights.

MARY E. EK

Cypress