Apollo 13 controller Gene Kranz: President's space path 'dangerous'

By Lee Roop, The Huntsville Times
May 03, 2010, 7:30AM

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Gene Kranz, the legendary NASA flight director who controlled the first flights to the moon and helped save Apollo 13, says President Barack Obama "has put our nation on a dangerous path" with his proposed new space program.

"My concern is this might possibly be the epitaph for the manned space program for the next decade," Kranz said Thursday night at an international conference of space mission controllers here.

The president wants to scrap most of the Constellation rocket program currently under way. It employs 2,200 NASA and contractor employees here.

Instead, Obama wants to fund commercial rocket companies to carry astronauts to and from the space station while NASA focuses on the problems and requirements of deep-space travel.

In an interview on the balcony of the U.S Space & Rocket Center near a life-sized model of the Saturn V rockets he launched four times, Kranz said he's worried about losing unique NASA expertise.

"I believe that our nation cannot afford this kind of an impact," the 76-year-old Kranz said. "We have the most talented team of people - scientists, engineers, mathematicians, technicians.

"I was there when we started and had to build this kind of a team," Kranz said. "It took three to five years to get the people in place and get them trained, and we had a very healthy aircraft industry at that time that we could get people from.

"Once you send this team away," Kranz said, "I think they have totally underestimated the difficulty they're going to have getting a team capable of designing, building and testing a spacecraft."

Kranz said he's also worried because the next space goal isn't clear.

"In order to build a program, you have to have an objective or set of objectives," Kranz said. "This has to be translated into conceptual missions, what we call flight profiles. The flight profiles are then used to establish the type of spacecraft, the type of mission you're going to fly, the type of launch vehicle you're going to use.

"There are no shortcuts in this business," he said.

"The president has put our nation on a dangerous path in space," Kranz concluded. "I don't know where he's going to find the people; I don't know how we're going to inspire the young people."

Kranz, who was mobbed by the young controllers "like a rock star," in one NASA staffer's words, praised Huntsville's role in the space program.

"I don't think of it as Marshall (Space Flight Center)," Kranz said. "I think of it as Huntsville. Huntsville has always provided marvelous space systems."

The Huntsville-designed Saturn V "was a darn well-designed spacecraft," Kranz said. "I wish we had it today."

enuffsenuff
Posted by enuffsenuff
May 03, 2010, 7:46AM

A dinosaur clinging to a past. Go enjoy your retirement grandpa and let the kids run things now.
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sixpetdad
Posted by sixpetdad
May 03, 2010, 9:02AM

I am optimistic about the new direction for manned spaceflight, but at the same time I understand the reservations of those who are skeptical. I do feel they are too wedded to what has worked in the past.

Nevertheless, don't disrespect Gene Kranz. Such comments are uncalled for. He brought Apollo 13 home practically through the force of his own willpower. He is a living American hero and whether you agree with his views or not, he deserves respect. Either give him that respect, or be silent and leave him alone.
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HeadCheeze
Posted by HeadCheeze
May 03, 2010, 9:32AM

"Let the kids run things"? That's part of the problem. More like the patients running the aylum, if you ask me. If more of your ideologue heroes in Washington had his American values, attitude and good ol' determination, I guarantee we would be in far better shape than we are now.