Houston, we have a problem

Those words were not good news for those who worked at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. They may have been spoken in other space flights, but, the dilemma of Apollo 13 comes to mind as the most urgent.

Once NASA launches a maned space flight from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, everything thereafter is controlled by “Houston”.  Good news, America’s good news, bad news, Houston’s problem.

We now have only two shuttle flights left in America’s space program.  The shuttle Endeavor is scheduled to launch on April 29, and the shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch later this summer.  After that, we turn over space exploration to the Russians.

So, what to do with our 4 shuttles?

The answer was given on Tuesday by Charles Bolton, NASA’s chief, and, an appointee of President Obama.

Shuttle Discovery, which has spent almost one year in space over her lifetime, will go to the Smithsonian, as well she should.

Shuttle Atlantis, upon her return from space later this summer, will remain at Kennedy Space Center, as well she should.

Surely, you say, one of the 2 remaining shuttles will go to Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Not so.

Mr. Bolton has decided that the Enterprise, which was a prototype used solely for test flights, and never flew in space, will go to New York City, and the Endeavor, upon her return in May will go to California’s Science Center in Los Angeles California.

Just in case you missed the nuance, both New York and California are “blue states”, Texas is not.

I may be jumping to conclusions here, but, it is a travesty for Johnson Space Center to not receive at least one shuttle that “Houston” cared and nurtured through numerous perilous flights.

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SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

17 Comments

  1. GdavidH on April 17, 2011 at 4:48 am

    A state, region, or city slighted for political reasons? I'm shocked!

    The way I see it…..Texas is already outer space to this administration.



  2. Political Entropy on April 17, 2011 at 8:07 am

    This is really a shame.



  3. Gary J on April 17, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    SOS you can hit the bulls eye with your eyes closed as once again you have proven 🙂



  4. Tim-in-Alabama on April 17, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    Chicago should have gotten a shuttle because without the elder Daley stealing the election for JFK, there would have been no challenge to put man on the moon by the end of the 1960s and NASA would probably not even exist in its current form.



  5. Marilyn on April 18, 2011 at 2:39 am

    I was sick when they announced the choices.  My heart goes out to the people of the Johnson Space Center.  New York & California, might as well have said handoff to Moscow.



  6. Dimsdale on April 18, 2011 at 3:34 am

    At least they didn't send it to China as a goodwill gesture (probably since China stole all the secrets long ago….).

     

    I bet that, or sending one to Russia, crossed their minds though.



    • GdavidH on April 18, 2011 at 3:37 am

      They could not find a muslim country that wanted one?

      I thought NASA was all about muslim outreach now.



  7. NH-Jim on April 18, 2011 at 9:57 am

    I believe this administration thinks that Houston already received a space shuttle….the ill-fated Columbia which landed in thousands of pieces across the Texas landscape.

     

    Houston Control may send the "Thank you" card to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, D.C.



  8. sammy22 on April 18, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    So what is the answer as to why no shuttle is going to Houston? Maybe Houston did not want one??



    • PatRiot on April 18, 2011 at 2:25 pm

      Sad, but more than likely true.



    • PatRiot on April 18, 2011 at 2:29 pm

      Sorry – that comment was @ NH- Jim.

      @ sammy22:  From DC's long track record, there won't be much truth in their answer. 



    • SoundOffSister on April 18, 2011 at 2:55 pm

      Actually, the Johnson Space Center in Houston did apply for one of the shuttles, as did the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, near Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.  And, Ohio is another "red" state.  Hummmm.



  9. Shared Sacrifice on April 18, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    "Punish your enemies!"…  This is what change looks like.  Maybe, if mission control had been in the liberal mecca of Austin TX, then there'd be a shuttle and a federally funded tourist center too?



  10. TomTGRWolcott on April 18, 2011 at 6:04 pm

    Not so fast on the retirement of Atlantis and Endeavour, United Space Alliance is trying to save these two shuttles for continued missions…you can find the article here…. its a long shot but they are trying

    http://www.space.com/11391-nasa-space-shuttles-co



  11. Anne-EH on April 19, 2011 at 1:02 am

    Not surprised at all by the decision to omit out Houston from being given a shuttle for politcal reasons. Well since PBO is into college basketball, he sure must have been happy that Houston had been able to host the men's NCAA's Final Four.



  12. Anne-EH on April 19, 2011 at 1:09 am

    Here you go SOS, Free Republic posting of this article, the URL:

    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2707063/



  13. Dimsdale on April 20, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    The only thing transparent about ?bama is his partisanship and constant campaigning.
    ?
    Hey Barry, forget about spreading (other people’s) wealth around and start spreading the truth around.



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