Man's Future in Space

Pause for a moment and consider the tremendous achievement, the great excitement, and the awe-inspiring power of what man has and continues to accomplish in reaching into space. If man can accomplish this, anything can ultimately be achieved.

Unfortunately, media coverage of Discovery's return to flight has focused more on the risks, problems, and what appears to be routine, minor damage on the shuttle. Wringing hands, NASA cowering away within a day of lift-off to "ground" future shuttle launches, and a focus on the remote possibility of a problem.

Our media's fixation (and much of our society's paranoia) with looking for disasters, crises, and what can go wrong in every major initiative is creating a culture of cynicism. Going to space is dangerous, important, and exciting business. We should be celebrating achievements and looking ahead.

This said, Popular Mechanics is featuring a very compelling debate about the future of not only the shuttle program, but manned exploration of space. Do we need to send humans into space when machines can accomplish more for a fraction of the cost?