Space: More neighborhood than frontier

The day’s proceedings were a heady mix of pure science and companionable reflections on the adventure of Mission STS-51-G on which Prince Sultan served as payload specialist. The purpose of the conference was undoubtedly serious but the day was leavened by the passion for the subject of science in space from both the crew members of the mission who shared their reflections on the mission and its long-term meaning and the academics who presented the extent to which space science has expanded human understanding of both our planet, celestial bodies and the fabric of space-time itself.
Gen. Charles F. Bolden, administrator of NASA, told delegates that NASA seemed to have a secure future after the recent passing of the budget authorization bill by the House of Representatives in late September. Bolden opined recently that he felt that NASA’s projected move away from the moon-focused space programs to a wider program of research and possibly near earth object study and interdiction was the way forward.
“We want to extend and sustain our presence across the solar system,” he said, adding this would involve both manned and robotic programs, with a view to better understand space and “the Earth we live on.”
Sharing that knowledge with partner nations was a priority and he noted that NASA already has more than 4,000 agreements with over 100 nations. “It is a cornerstone of NASA policy,” he said. The laws on exporting technology developed by the space program are already under review by US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a view to easing their restrictions.
During the session, Dr. Mohammed Al-Suwaiyai, president of KACST, signed a cooperation agreement with Bolden to extend the area of scientific cooperation and exchange of research.
The hard science that the missions and space exploration produce were explored and briefly described by Nobel Laureate Professor John Hall, Professor Charles Everett and Professor Robert Byer. Hall described the changing techniques of metrology — the science of measuring units or dimensions — and the questions that they raised that challenged long established definitions.
Everett, who in describing the results from a space probe that set out to test the theory of relativity, carried the theme forward. It seems, based on the data from incredibly accurately made gyros, the theory of relativity works though Albert Einstein thought that it would never be proved experimentally.
Everett’s particular area of expertise also involves the very precise measurement but by laser. He described work with lasers that challenged the Einsteinian assumptions that space was isotropic (the same in every direction) and that the speed of light was constant.
It was the session chaired by Prince Sultan that brought the conference down to earth as the emphasis turned to the effect of seeing our home planet in the context of the universe in a way only 400 or so people ever have.
“It’s much smaller and more fragile than you think,” he said describing his first reaction to seeing Earth from space. “When you look out of the window and see the atmosphere only this thick” (indicating a few millimeters) “and think that is all we have to live in, it is then you see things differently.”
He shared anecdotes with the crew members and audience in a very lively session that added a touch of humor and humanity to the very serious matter of training for the flight. He noted that after a particular psychological suitability session he asked the point of the interview. “The psychologist told me it was basically to see if I was sane. I asked him would any sane man sit in a capsule on top of hundreds of tons of rocket and explosive fuel?” He added that he asked himself the same question when he looked out of the window and saw the fireball outside the shuttle on re-entry.
Prince Sultan emphasized the transforming experience that the trip had on him. He spoke passionately of the international character of the team and their total acceptance of a member from a very different culture and religion in the mix. “It didn’t matter at all, we simply did the job and flew the mission,” he said.
The disingenuous divisions of culture and peoples disappearing when the planet is put into perspective from space was a theme taken up with passion by the crew members invited to join Prince Sultan for the 25th anniversary conference.
Russell Schweickart, who was Lunar Module pilot on the Apollo 9 mission in 1969, developed the theme saying that "looking back on Earth from space broadened our understanding that we were all on a very small planet."
He explained that natural history had as a result of space travel broadened its base from simply being concerned with plants and animals on Earth and now included Earth and its relationship with space. Space is no longer a frontier, more of a neighborhood that we are part of. “What happens in space affects us on Earth and we are now beginning to understand that,” he said pointing out that water, hydrocarbons and probably life came from off-planet sources. “We are just beginning to understand that life might be an inevitable product of space,” he said.
He said that the vocabulary of those who had been into space reflected the change in their perceptions of the planet in that they used philosophical rather than pure scientific terms to describe it. “Lonely, small, fragile, beautiful and home — we are beginning to see ourselves differently and realize we are all riders of the Earth together.”
If, he thought, survival of humanity was a prime directive, then space exploration must continue — most especially as the threat of eventual extinction by an asteroid impact was a real threat. The extension of NASA’s robotic missions into deep space to gather information on asteroids in the sun’s orbit was essential and would compliment the studies on near-earth objects currently under way.
In response to a question, Schweickart agreed that communicating the passion and relevance of space to future generations was a priority. “However, passion must be met with opportunity to understand,” he said, commenting that it was essential that the opportunity be given to become involved in space exploration and therefore a greater understanding of our planet’s environment and fragility.
The evening saw the official opening of the conference with a gala dinner in a specially erected hall adjacent to KACST’s new conference center. Sunday sees technical sessions and discussions of individual space research and satellite programs.