Space Shuttle

As an aerospace engineer with much space shuttle experience, including service on a National Academy of Science panel on the subject, I’d like to comment on “Problems Overcome, Shuttle Lands Safely” (April 1).

The shuttle is a ‘70s bird wearing out in the late 1990s. It got home this time after many malfunctions, but for how long? A new starter doesn’t make a new car. In my estimation it will be only a short time until we kill 10 or so more of our most capable citizens.

Each time a shuttle lifts off, the U.S. public is out at least $500 million. (This cost does not include amortization of development, which would be appropriate when citing costs to taxpayers.)

We’ve had a wonderful mission with the current Mir docking. The shuttle has an honorable history, albeit expensive in lives as well as dollars. Let’s recognize obsoleteness and retire the shuttle fleet while the history is still honorable.

Looking to the future, space is best conquered with robots that don’t require, as does a shuttle, 80% of resources (resources equal dollars) to be devoted to protecting vulnerable humans. The recent NASA Galileo probe is a textbook example.

GORDON S. REITER

Torrance