Editorial: Mourning the loss of astronauts

Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 | 11:21 a.m.

Americans are mourning the loss of the seven astronauts who died Saturday aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Israelis also are grieving: Ilan Ramon, an astronaut on Columbia, was the first Israeli to venture into space. The five men and two women who lost their lives were the best of the best, combining intelligence, physical toughness and bravery. These individuals also possessed strong character. Much of that can be a testament to their families, as we saw from pilot William McCool's parents, who live in Las Vegas. McCool's mother, Audrey, talked to reporters just hours after learning of her son's death. Despite the tragedy, Audrey McCool doesn't want the nation to turn its back on space travel. "Don't give up the dream," she said.

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, on Sunday explained why our nation should bear the financial costs and risks associated with space travel. Glenn, appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," said part of the reason for our country's greatness was its exploration and quest for knowledge. "People found that exciting, to learn the new things first and to put them to work," he said. "That's what has led our nation, in that tiny little time capsule in history, to exceed the whole world. ... And these people gave their lives, pursuant to that, just as much as any of our explorers did back in history." On the Columbia, Glenn noted, there were 90 scientific experiments, including one involving human tissue generation to help see if there was a medical way to stop the spread of prostate cancer.

The space program should continue, but in no way should that diminish the intensity of the investigations into why Columbia crashed. Reports that NASA disregarded an advisory panel's criticism of long-term shuttle safety should be pursued. The White House and Congress will have to make sure that the probes into the Columbia disaster are thorough and unflinching. President Bush ultimately may want to consider establishing a single, independent commission, such as the one created following Challenger's explosion in 1986, to investigate what happened to Columbia. Space travel never will be risk-free, but the public should be assured that an exhaustive investigation will improve the safety of the space shuttle.