Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!bloom-beacon!apple!well!tneff
From: tneff@well.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Teacher vs Journalist in Space
Summary: NASA suspended the wrong program
Message-ID: <10373@well.UUCP>
Date: 16 Jan 89 16:18:10 GMT
Reply-To: tneff@well.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Distribution: na
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 33

As you have probably read by now, NASA announced their passenger policy
last week.  Future Jake Garns and Christa McAuliffes are now officially
designated "Space Flight Participants" and there won't be any more for
a few years because of the risks.  (Nothing I have read would tend to
indicate the risks will be any *less* in 1992, in fact quite the
opposite given the aging hardware and increased flight rate, so a cynic
might be tempted to interpret this timetable as really meaning "until
the flak dies down," but I'll play along.)  NASA then added that if and 
when SFP's are allowed back up, top priority goes to another try at
Teacher In Space because of "educational commitments," and that the
other SFP program, Journalist In Space, was indefinitely suspended.

With very great respect to Barbara Morgan, whom they will presumably
offer the TIS berth if she hasn't had enough after seven years, I think
this is a wrongheaded attitude on NASA's part.  Let us agree that the
Shuttle is an inherently risky bird to fly.  Which civilian profession
has a more appropriate role (and distinguished record) in dangerous
places?  Journalists scramble for the opportunity to go in harm's way,
because that way Pulitzers lie (and other, nobler reasons, but you get
the point).  It's their JOB to go to strange places and report back.
This is not true of teachers in general.   We ask teachers to teach
about a great number of things without attending in person.  Where was
the Teacher-In-Vietnam program, for instance?  No one suggests that the
science teacher needs to go to Antarctica - or that ANY science teacher
per se need go to Antarctica - in order to teach about that subject
effectively.  The reason is that teachers have all the classroom
resources they need - resources prepared by scientists and
*journalists*.

I welcome comments (posted or mailed) from others on this topic.
-- 
Tom Neff                  tneff@well.UUCP
                       or tneff@dasys1.UUCP