Washington (ECN) - Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to lift off on Wednesday, March 11th 2009 at 9:20 PM EDT.
One of the prime missions during its two week flight is to carry the final solar power assembly to the International Space Station, which is required to allow the station to support a larger crew.
The shuttle will also deliver Japan’s first live-aboard astronaut to the space station, who will serve as the station’s flight engineer.
The seven person crew’s lift-off has been delayed since February as NASA replaced faulty fuel pressure valves.
The United States’ manned space flight program, which has been the world leader for decades, now faces an uncertain future. International competition is growing and fiscal concerns may culminate in a reduction in future U.S. manned flights.
U.S. space shuttles are set to be retired in 2010, and the next generation will not be ready until 2015. During the interim the U.S. plans to partner with Russia in conducting manned launches. China’s recent successful launch combined with Indian, Japanese and the European Union’s interest in developing space capability will certainly change the balance of power in the realm of space flight.
Japan plans to attempt to put a robot on the moon by 2020 followed by a human by 2030 to explore its natural resources. It is entirely possible that a nation other than the U.S. will land the next human on the moon.
Economic strictures may severely curtail the future of American manned space flight. President Obama has been unclear on the degree of support and resources that will be available to NASA, forcing it to make hard decisions on which missions to continue funding.
There is still no nominee for NASA administrator, delaying this decision making process.
The current economic crisis requires a focus on prudent use of limited funds and the Governmental Accountability Office has recently reported that 10 of 13 NASA programs experienced major cost increases and delays.
Political considerations are also raising concerns about the long term viability of the U.S. space program.
While policy can be suggested by elected officials, there needs to be an infrastructure in place to implement it. Competing civil, commercial and military interests need to be coordinated by an over-arching authority.
Though debate is currently ongoing as to where this authority should reside, there is little doubt that without it the days of American space dominance will soon be over.
