The Dumbing Down Of NASA
To a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, he challenged, "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."
Each successive scene of the drama intensified--until the grand finale on July 20, 1969. At 3:18 p.m. CDT, the Lunar Module touched down on the Moon at Tranquility Base, and Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, reported, "The Eagle has landed." At 9:56 p.m., descending from the Eagle's ladder and touching one foot on the Moon's surface, he announced: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
Who would have ever imagined that just 31 years later the marvelous history of America's space program would be playing second fiddle to "the only heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping, in-your-face extreme action in town"?
When we entered the parking lot at NASA's showcase for human space flight, the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, my suspicions were aroused. I was wrong, though. The loud, obnoxious thumping we heard was not from jungle drums. It was exploding from a booth at the entrance of the Space Center where a fellow hawked in-line skates. OSHA would shut down any factory with such high decibel levels.
What, I wondered, does this have to do with space flight? I never found out.
Yes, the space exhibits were there, but they were less personal, less engaging than I remember from my last visit in 1985. The real beehives were hands-on exhibits for "extreme sports." An in-line skate video game/simulator was a major drawing card. So was the 20-foot-high rock climbing setup. Lots of fun, I'm sure, but what's the connection to space?
Surely it was the old "bait and switch" game. First lure visitors--young people in particular--to the Space Center. Then hook them on space and the hard engineering and science that must be a part of it.
Many writers speak about the "dumbing down" of America. The desire for entertainment, not betterment, breeds underachievers. We should set our sights higher--even to the heavens, as President Kennedy once dreamed.
Kennedy commissioned a mighty army with a clear vision: conquer space. To them it truly became "the only heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping, in-your-face extreme action in town." He would be disappointed to see new recruits in the army to conquer the future being lured into service by the mentality of bungee jumping and the thump of jungle drums. And so am I.
Copyright 2000 James McAlister
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