Ok, maybe I'm the only one, but I've never been one to love a parade. Sure, I understand them, I've been in them, I've even had to watch a few. But, I don't really enjoy them so much. I certainly understand the hoopla surrounding the inauguration today, especially with the historic significance of President Obama's ascendency. BUT, I cringe when I think about how much money is spent on these kinds of events. Of course, businesses profit a great deal, which is good for everyone, to a point.
While the celebrations were going on, bank stocks took a huge tumble. Big players like Bank of America (down 29% today) and Royal Bank of Scotland (down 69% today) were hard hit. President Obama has rightly made the economy his number one priority. I look forward to an aggressive and coordinated set of actions to bring on the recovery.
Did I mention that I'm working on my tax return? I suppose that at least I won't have much capital gains to report (I've never considered that good news!). Always good to try to keep a sense of humor. Reminds me of the food shortage during Expedition 10, when E9 ate our stuff. Salizhan and I joked about it, as a way to cope. Maybe it will be funny one day, but not yet!
;)
Leroy Chiao
PS: Oh, and it looks like Mike Griffin is officially retired from NASA, as of today. Piers owes me a dollar!
Devon Island Expedition
This blog features educational updates on my Devon Island Expedition of July 14-20, 2007. Other sites: spaceref.com/blogs/earthclassroom, www.marsonearth.org
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
New Year, New Directions
2009 is firmly underway! In the next few days, the new US President will take power, government officials, including the current NASA Administrator, will resign, and everything will change.
How will 2009 be different for you? Many of the people I know felt that 2008 was a pretty lousy year. For me, it was mixed, but I can't complain. I am however, like everyone, looking forward to a better year. Prognosticators have been saying that the world economic situation will not improve much during 2009, although there is hope that the absolutely huge bailout/stimulus packages will help to keep things from getting much worse.
So why is there optimism in the air? Maybe just because there is certainty that change will happen in 2009. Many folks just want to put last year behind them. Who knows? Maybe this will become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Leroy Chiao
How will 2009 be different for you? Many of the people I know felt that 2008 was a pretty lousy year. For me, it was mixed, but I can't complain. I am however, like everyone, looking forward to a better year. Prognosticators have been saying that the world economic situation will not improve much during 2009, although there is hope that the absolutely huge bailout/stimulus packages will help to keep things from getting much worse.
So why is there optimism in the air? Maybe just because there is certainty that change will happen in 2009. Many folks just want to put last year behind them. Who knows? Maybe this will become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Leroy Chiao
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Farewell, 2008
Well, it's that time of year again, the end of it, that is! Did you have a good 2008, despite the financial crisis and other world events?
Of course, one of the most significant events was the election of a new US President, who will take office in just a few weeks. He will face challenges for sure, but the general mood of the country, indeed the world, seems to be one of cautious optimism. Even Russian President Medvedev is on record as being positive about improved relations with the United States.
In the narrow area of space exploration, which greatly interests me, what will happen? The biggest question is who will lead NASA? It seems highly unlikely that Mike Griffin will be asked to stay on, but will the new Administration have NASA high enough on its priority list to make a decision quickly? One of my astronaut colleagues actually made a bet with me that Griffin will be asked to stay on. I understand that another of my colleagues started a keep Mike petition online, and it appears that Mrs. Griffin has also sent out emails urging support for her husband (please see www.nasawatch.com).
All very interesting and surreal. I personally doubt that Mike will be asked to stay. But, I've been wrong before!
What is going to happen to NASA? I don't know, nor do I have any insider information. I do think that whatever happens, NASA will be dramatically changed. This is more of a feeling than anything else.
I am worried that NASA will lose its place as the world leader in manned space flight. Russia will, by default, become the leader after the Space Shuttle is retired in 2010. China is coming up fast.
What do you think?
Leroy Chiao
Of course, one of the most significant events was the election of a new US President, who will take office in just a few weeks. He will face challenges for sure, but the general mood of the country, indeed the world, seems to be one of cautious optimism. Even Russian President Medvedev is on record as being positive about improved relations with the United States.
In the narrow area of space exploration, which greatly interests me, what will happen? The biggest question is who will lead NASA? It seems highly unlikely that Mike Griffin will be asked to stay on, but will the new Administration have NASA high enough on its priority list to make a decision quickly? One of my astronaut colleagues actually made a bet with me that Griffin will be asked to stay on. I understand that another of my colleagues started a keep Mike petition online, and it appears that Mrs. Griffin has also sent out emails urging support for her husband (please see www.nasawatch.com).
All very interesting and surreal. I personally doubt that Mike will be asked to stay. But, I've been wrong before!
What is going to happen to NASA? I don't know, nor do I have any insider information. I do think that whatever happens, NASA will be dramatically changed. This is more of a feeling than anything else.
I am worried that NASA will lose its place as the world leader in manned space flight. Russia will, by default, become the leader after the Space Shuttle is retired in 2010. China is coming up fast.
What do you think?
Leroy Chiao
Thursday, December 11, 2008
What's Going On At NASA?
The Orlando Sentinal and other publications reported recently that NASA, at the very highest levels, is not cooperating with President-Elect Obama's NASA Transition Team. There was reportedly a very public, unfriendly exchange at a book publication event at NASA HQ between Administrator Mike Griffin and Transition Team Leader Lori Garver.
There seems to have been enough eyewitnesses to this and other incidents, that it would be fair to conclude that something bad is happening. What's going on at NASA? It's hard to know for sure, but it sure smells like a combination of desperation and frustration. No matter what one's opinion happens to be, the fact is that there will be a new President in just a few weeks and his transition team for space is going to be advising him on everything that should be done with NASA.
If Mike is afraid that the Constellation Program is about to be canceled or radically altered, the best course of action would be to calmly make his arguments to the Transition Team, to try to persuade them that his course is best. They are the ones who will be calling the shots. There are rumors that Ms. Garver herself may be in line to become the next NASA Administrator.
It may be a losing strategy for Mike to simply try to persuade, but it's going to be a lot better than confrontation.
And, who is Ms. Garver? She was the NASA Associate Administrator for Policy and Plans when Dan Goldin was NASA Administrator. Not many of us in the space business had really heard of her until after she had left NASA in 2001, when she publicly campaigned for contributions in an unsuccessful attempt to become what she called the "First Soccer Mom" to fly in space. She had hoped to use the money to buy a seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
She may not have technical credentials, but she doesn't necessarily need any, so long as she takes the advice of qualified specialists. What she does have, is political clout and savvy, especially with the incoming Administration.
One thing is for sure. Change is coming to NASA. Best for everyone if all play nicely.
Leroy Chiao
There seems to have been enough eyewitnesses to this and other incidents, that it would be fair to conclude that something bad is happening. What's going on at NASA? It's hard to know for sure, but it sure smells like a combination of desperation and frustration. No matter what one's opinion happens to be, the fact is that there will be a new President in just a few weeks and his transition team for space is going to be advising him on everything that should be done with NASA.
If Mike is afraid that the Constellation Program is about to be canceled or radically altered, the best course of action would be to calmly make his arguments to the Transition Team, to try to persuade them that his course is best. They are the ones who will be calling the shots. There are rumors that Ms. Garver herself may be in line to become the next NASA Administrator.
It may be a losing strategy for Mike to simply try to persuade, but it's going to be a lot better than confrontation.
And, who is Ms. Garver? She was the NASA Associate Administrator for Policy and Plans when Dan Goldin was NASA Administrator. Not many of us in the space business had really heard of her until after she had left NASA in 2001, when she publicly campaigned for contributions in an unsuccessful attempt to become what she called the "First Soccer Mom" to fly in space. She had hoped to use the money to buy a seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
She may not have technical credentials, but she doesn't necessarily need any, so long as she takes the advice of qualified specialists. What she does have, is political clout and savvy, especially with the incoming Administration.
One thing is for sure. Change is coming to NASA. Best for everyone if all play nicely.
Leroy Chiao
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
On Cooperation with China
The Case for Cooperation
Leroy Chiao, Ph.D.
Astronaut
November 25, 2008
In October 2003, Yang Liwei became the first Chinese National astronaut to launch into space. He flew aboard the Chinese Shenzhou 5 spacecraft, atop a Long March 2F rocket, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in central China. This historic event marked China’s entrance into the manned space game, only the third nation in the world to have that capability. China recently completed their third manned space mission, Shenzhou 7. During that flight, Chinese National astronaut Zhai Zhigang performed an eighteen-minute spacewalk, using a Chinese-built spacesuit.
As the first American to be allowed to visit the Astronaut Center of China in September 2006, I saw firsthand, the program’s high-level sophistication and technology. I met with Yang Liwei and Fei Junlong, the commander of China’s second space mission, Shenzhou 6. After a day of tours and meetings, it became apparent to me that the Chinese didn’t lack technology or sophistication, what they had not yet accrued was operational experience. This is something that will come with time.
Having said that, I am impressed with the deliberate, steady pace of their manned space program. Some might say that they have been conservative (their first spacewalk was a short one, and the astronauts never disconnected their electrical umbilicals), but I see it as a series of well-planned quantum steps.
China has, on at least two occasions, publicly announced desires to join the International Space Station (ISS) program. They have thus far, been rebuffed. In 2003, the reason given by the United States was that the Chinese program was too far behind technically and lacked sophistication. In 2007, they were simply ignored. Indeed, I was the lone American astronaut at the International Academy of Astronautics meeting that year in Beijing, China’s first international manned space conference. Except for a few individuals who were able to sign their own travel orders, NASA completely ignored the international assembly of Russian, European, Japanese, Canadian and Chinese astronauts, cosmonauts and space specialists.
Today, the U.S. space program is facing enormous challenges. The Constellation moon program has continuing technical and budget difficulties, and it is not at all clear what course the new administration will chart when it takes over early next year. The Space Shuttle, arguably a beautiful, magnificent, yet complex vehicle, will be retired in late 2010, barring major budget and political commitments. The United States will have no capability of its own to launch astronauts into space. We will be totally dependent on foreign partners with manned capability. Currently, only Russia is such a partner. China could be the second.
It makes sense politically and programmatically to cooperate with China, in all areas. Space would be a good place to symbolically signal such a shift in policy. The United States did this with Russia in the early 1990’s. At the time, as a skeptic, I didn’t see the point of cooperating with our former enemy and I objected to using our nation’s space program as a foreign policy tool. I thought that the Russians were technically backward. Having grown up during the Cold War, I “knew” these things to be true. It was not until I started training for Expedition 10, that I came to respect the Russians, their technology and their culture. I began to understand the benefits of using U.S. assets and programs to further political friendship through cooperation.
There have been arguments that cooperation in space with China would benefit their missile and weapon capability. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is nothing in manned space cooperation that would make a ballistic missile more accurate, or a nuclear warhead more powerful. In fact, trying to isolate China might motivate them to further develop their own technology.
Having been rebuffed by the United States on the International Space Station program, China announced plans for a space station of their own. In order to loft this station into orbit, China is developing the Long March 5 rocket, a true heavy lift launcher. This is the most advanced rocket that they have undertaken to create. It features a sophisticated cryogenic core with liquid strap-on boosters. If the U.S. had cooperated with China earlier on ISS, would they have committed their resources to make this 800 metric ton rocket, which by the way, could also lift a huge warhead?
China is emerging as a true world power, economically and technically. Does it make more sense for the United States to engage China, or to try to keep China at arm’s length? I believe that the answer is obvious. It is important to take the global view. Isolationism has been long obsolete. One good way to deal with an adversary is to find common and mutually beneficial areas of cooperation, and turn that adversary into a friend.
Leroy Chiao served as a NASA astronaut from 1990-2005. During his 15-year career, he flew four missions into space, three times on Space Shuttles and once as the copilot of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station. On that flight, he served as the commander of Expedition 10, a six and a half month mission. Dr. Chiao has performed six spacewalks, in both US and Russian spacesuits, and has logged nearly 230 days in space. He has performed scientific investigations in orbit, and helped to construct the International Space Station. Dr. Chiao was the first Chinese-American professional astronaut, spacewalker and mission commander.
Leroy Chiao, Ph.D.
Astronaut
November 25, 2008
In October 2003, Yang Liwei became the first Chinese National astronaut to launch into space. He flew aboard the Chinese Shenzhou 5 spacecraft, atop a Long March 2F rocket, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in central China. This historic event marked China’s entrance into the manned space game, only the third nation in the world to have that capability. China recently completed their third manned space mission, Shenzhou 7. During that flight, Chinese National astronaut Zhai Zhigang performed an eighteen-minute spacewalk, using a Chinese-built spacesuit.
As the first American to be allowed to visit the Astronaut Center of China in September 2006, I saw firsthand, the program’s high-level sophistication and technology. I met with Yang Liwei and Fei Junlong, the commander of China’s second space mission, Shenzhou 6. After a day of tours and meetings, it became apparent to me that the Chinese didn’t lack technology or sophistication, what they had not yet accrued was operational experience. This is something that will come with time.
Having said that, I am impressed with the deliberate, steady pace of their manned space program. Some might say that they have been conservative (their first spacewalk was a short one, and the astronauts never disconnected their electrical umbilicals), but I see it as a series of well-planned quantum steps.
China has, on at least two occasions, publicly announced desires to join the International Space Station (ISS) program. They have thus far, been rebuffed. In 2003, the reason given by the United States was that the Chinese program was too far behind technically and lacked sophistication. In 2007, they were simply ignored. Indeed, I was the lone American astronaut at the International Academy of Astronautics meeting that year in Beijing, China’s first international manned space conference. Except for a few individuals who were able to sign their own travel orders, NASA completely ignored the international assembly of Russian, European, Japanese, Canadian and Chinese astronauts, cosmonauts and space specialists.
Today, the U.S. space program is facing enormous challenges. The Constellation moon program has continuing technical and budget difficulties, and it is not at all clear what course the new administration will chart when it takes over early next year. The Space Shuttle, arguably a beautiful, magnificent, yet complex vehicle, will be retired in late 2010, barring major budget and political commitments. The United States will have no capability of its own to launch astronauts into space. We will be totally dependent on foreign partners with manned capability. Currently, only Russia is such a partner. China could be the second.
It makes sense politically and programmatically to cooperate with China, in all areas. Space would be a good place to symbolically signal such a shift in policy. The United States did this with Russia in the early 1990’s. At the time, as a skeptic, I didn’t see the point of cooperating with our former enemy and I objected to using our nation’s space program as a foreign policy tool. I thought that the Russians were technically backward. Having grown up during the Cold War, I “knew” these things to be true. It was not until I started training for Expedition 10, that I came to respect the Russians, their technology and their culture. I began to understand the benefits of using U.S. assets and programs to further political friendship through cooperation.
There have been arguments that cooperation in space with China would benefit their missile and weapon capability. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is nothing in manned space cooperation that would make a ballistic missile more accurate, or a nuclear warhead more powerful. In fact, trying to isolate China might motivate them to further develop their own technology.
Having been rebuffed by the United States on the International Space Station program, China announced plans for a space station of their own. In order to loft this station into orbit, China is developing the Long March 5 rocket, a true heavy lift launcher. This is the most advanced rocket that they have undertaken to create. It features a sophisticated cryogenic core with liquid strap-on boosters. If the U.S. had cooperated with China earlier on ISS, would they have committed their resources to make this 800 metric ton rocket, which by the way, could also lift a huge warhead?
China is emerging as a true world power, economically and technically. Does it make more sense for the United States to engage China, or to try to keep China at arm’s length? I believe that the answer is obvious. It is important to take the global view. Isolationism has been long obsolete. One good way to deal with an adversary is to find common and mutually beneficial areas of cooperation, and turn that adversary into a friend.
Leroy Chiao served as a NASA astronaut from 1990-2005. During his 15-year career, he flew four missions into space, three times on Space Shuttles and once as the copilot of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station. On that flight, he served as the commander of Expedition 10, a six and a half month mission. Dr. Chiao has performed six spacewalks, in both US and Russian spacesuits, and has logged nearly 230 days in space. He has performed scientific investigations in orbit, and helped to construct the International Space Station. Dr. Chiao was the first Chinese-American professional astronaut, spacewalker and mission commander.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Chinese Space Suit
On November 7th, I was privileged to be shown the Chinese EVA suit before it was put on display at the Beijing Military museum. I believe that no Americans had seen this suit before. It was a functional suit, though obviously not the one that was worn on the actual EVA in September. That suit was thrown away and destroyed during reentry, except for the gloves that were worn by Zhai Zhigang.
I was impressed with the suit. It has obvious Russian Orlan heritage, with some differences. The Display and Control Module looked similar, as did the pressure regulators and the oxygen injector switch. The hatch latching mechanism also looked similar. So did the umbilical interfaces. In fact, it is reasonable to assume that the spacecraft interfaces are identical to the Russian system, since the second suit worn my Liu Boming was in fact an Orlan.
There is nothing wrong with this approach. It is arguably optimal to take an existing design and improve upon it, while retaining critical systems that are proven. In my view, China is taking a very logical course in developing their manned space capability.
Leroy Chiao
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What a Difference a Year Makes!
Wow, I am blogging to you from China! Only a year ago, I was having dinner with the President of Google China. He told me then, that Google blogs were not turned on here.
Now, they are working just fine. I am glad to see that things are improving. I am encouraged that things seem to be going in the direction of more openness.
China cannot and should not be ignored. We are on the edge of a new era in the United States and the world. Cooperation is the best way to move forward.
Leroy Chiao
Now, they are working just fine. I am glad to see that things are improving. I am encouraged that things seem to be going in the direction of more openness.
China cannot and should not be ignored. We are on the edge of a new era in the United States and the world. Cooperation is the best way to move forward.
Leroy Chiao
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