Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Status of teacher-in-space?
Message-ID: <1988Oct26.175840.7970@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <52700003@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 88 17:58:40 GMT

In article <52700003@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> richman@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>Over the past week I have heard 2 bits of news which suggest that
>NASA may be planning to proceed with the "teacher in space" program...
>... Question #1: Does anyone know, for sure, if
>there are concrete plans to go ahead with the teacher in space?

Last I heard, the citizens-in-space program was on hold but not cancelled.
The shuttle definitely isn't carrying passengers until it is shaken down
again.  There are some factions within NASA, notably some of the astronauts,
that are opposed to passengers in general.  (Fast-jet test pilots are not
used to flying passengers and cargo for a living.)  So far, said factions
have succeeded in getting passengers postponed until the shuttle is
fully operational again, but not in having them permanently excluded.

>Question #2: What do you think of the idea, given the current status
>of the shuttle program?

I fail to see why NASA astronauts should be the only ones allowed to risk
their lives in a good cause.  There are people who ostentatiously claim
that the shuttle can never again be thought of as an "operational" system,
but those same people are perfectly happy to book the shuttle for cargo
flights as if it were operational.
-- 
The dream *IS* alive...         |    Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
but not at NASA.                |uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu