By Louis Levenson
In his column, “American
partnership spells doom for Russians“ (Viewpoint, Dec.
1), David Rigsby decides to venture to comment on the effect of the
NASA’s joint venture with several other nations in
constructing and implementing the new International Space Station.
In particular, he suggests the eventual downfall of Russia due to
this partnership of her scientists, ours and those from several
other nations.
Rigsby tells how NASA forced Russia to abandon her precious Mir
and join us in the hugely expensive and risky project that is the
ISS. Some of the cost overruns and long delays may not be because
of NASA, but rather as a result of Russia’s inability to keep
up with the original plan. Also much of the cost overrun for U.S.
taxpayers can be attributed to the fact that we had to pay for much
of the Russian contributions to the station.
Rigsby mentions that Mir is 15 years old and could have gone on
operating for two to four more years. And while I won’t
contest the value of Mir to science in the past 15 years, this is a
space station we are talking about. Most of us don’t even
drive cars that are 15 years old. Mir has served its purpose and
that is why it is being abandoned for the new station.
We also hear about “Russia’s already unstable job
market” being subjected to “even higher stress.”
He doesn’t say what would cause this higher stress; perhaps
he means if the ISS fails. But it hasn’t failed ““ it is
up there, working, now. This is good for everyone involved. Rigsby
then tells us that good old Mir allowed “Russian cosmonauts
to break many records, much to the dismay of their American
counterparts.” I take particular issue with this statement.
Scientists and politicians are two different animals. Scientists
aren’t dismayed when a counterpart from another country makes
a discovery or breaks a record. They are delighted.
We work in this field to increase our own understanding of the
universe we live in and eventually pass that understanding on to
the rest of humanity. We can’t do it all by ourselves. We
need the help of other great minds, no matter their national
loyalty, to help us gain that understanding. To hold such a
mindless, blind discussion of politics in connection with possibly
the greatest, most forward-thinking alliance of our nations is an
insult to the scientists involved.
Such an alliance among scientists is not brought about through
fear and brute power, it is one of scientific progress. I
don’t know that any group of people other than physical
scientists, and especially space scientists, can see humans so
clearly as one group of united beings struggling to survive and
push our species to new frontiers.
I’d venture to say that the three people least interested
in a discussion of national feuds are the American and two Russians
aboard the ISS right now. There are no boundaries, borders or
countries visible on earth from their point of view.