U.S. mustn't give up on space

The U.S. space shuttle program will end this year, though two launches remain — Endeavour in April and Atlantis in June. The impact of this reality is nearly unnoticed in today's fast-paced news cycle.

NASA will effectively be out of the low-Earth orbit transportation business. No shuttle means no direct U.S. transportation to the International Space Station (ISS). Our prowess, status, knowledge and ability to propel ourselves into space to learn, navigate and explore are at stake here.

We're challenged by tight federal budgets. Space, for many, is taking a back seat to other dominant needs. But that back-seat mentality has resulted in a hefty price tag for a front seat. With the necessary retirement of the space shuttle, our country faces a price tag of $63 million per seat on the Russian Soyuz to get to the ISS that we initiated and helped construct.

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While that is discouraging, we have an encouraging near-term solution for human spaceflight in this country. We have a promising commercial spaceflight industry, ripe with possibility. To turn that possibility into reality, it's time for Congress to stop arguing over the detailed allocation of the next NASA budget and approve the agency's $850 million request for the support of commercial spaceflight.

Going forward, commercial space companies and NASA must be considered partners, not competitors, in the U.S. human spaceflight enterprise. NASA's plan to support commercial spaceflight would significantly strengthen the agency's chances to have humans explore beyond Earth orbit once again.

Human spaceflight to and from Earth orbit provided by commercial companies would enable NASA to focus more of its energies and very constrained budget on exploration beyond Earth's orbit. Today, it will be better, even necessary, to have NASA focus its tight resources on preparing to send astronauts ultimately to destinations such as Mars.

Specifically, commercial human spaceflight would benefit NASA by:

•Shrinking the gap in U.S. launch capability after the space shuttle retires. This acceleration is possible because commercial rockets already exist. Existing companies can provide the launch vehicles, spacecraft and space systems to operate in Earth orbit, while allowing NASA to put its resources into exploration.

•Although no space mission is without risk, commercial space companies — working with NASA — can and will transport astronauts safely to and from Earth orbit. Indeed, NASA and the Defense Department already trust commercial space companies to launch unpiloted spacecraft valued in the billions of dollars.

•Providing lower cost access to the space station using U.S. (instead of Russian) launch vehicles and spacecraft. NASA is developing new launch vehicles and spacecraft capable of exploration beyond Earth orbit. These systems also could be used for frequent "taxi missions" to and from the ISS. But the case can be made that doing so would cost more than the commercial option, and although no one yet knows the exact numbers, the cost difference will be significant.

•Without commercial spaceflight, NASA astronauts likely will not fly into space from American soil for years to come. An extended hiatus in U.S.-funded human spaceflight increases the risk of losing public interest and, perhaps, even more NASA funding.

The time for commercial spaceflight is now, and Congress should approve the full budget $850 million request to ensure that we make transport to and from Earth orbit less expensive and more commonplace.

Gerry Griffin is the former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.