Has Space Flight Become Too Routine?

After well over a hundred Space Shuttle missions and the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station, the American public seems to have once again grown complacent about the space program.

Perhaps in a way, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's overall record of successful missions has ultimately worked against keeping the public sitting on the edge of their seat, who instead seem most interested when unusual things go wrong.

NASA is aware that people often aren't paying much attention, until they screw up... a recurring problem throughout NASA history. A perfect example from the latest Shuttle mission is the case of a lost tool bag, valued at $100,000. Despite completion of significant maintenance tasks, major improvements to the ISS and an otherwise near-perfectly executed mission... it seemed that the big focus of mainstream media reporting was on that lost toolkit.

A small but important part of an astronaut's job is public relations, offering candid responses to reporters' questions that are often repetitive and occasionally downright silly, an ABC News report pointed out.

Astronaut Heidi Stefanyshyn-Piper, questioned numerous times during PAO events about the tool bag, was asked again Saturday about losing it. Obviously weary of the subject but still trying to remain polite, she sighed and said, "It may be a good thing if it gets people to think about the space program and what we are doing up here."

A note on the front of the crew's daily planning package on Day 14 of the recent mission -- reported by ABC -- contained a bit of humor, revealing what the crew might actually be thinking during the day's PAO event when faced with mundane questions....

Q: What on Earth can the spacewalks be compared with? A: Like fixing your roof at night while wearing diapers, ski-clothes and scuba gear over your pajamas.

Q: How does the Urine Processor work? A: It doesn't.

Q: Does the "wake-up" song actually wake you up? A: Yes - with these speakers it sounds like the national anthem being played on an electric shaver.

Q: What is it like being in space? A: No fresh air, no beer, no TV, no sex and no shoes. Try that for two weeks sometime.

Q: What will you do on Thanksgiving? A: Same as every other day: Lose stuff, look for stuff, and take pictures of stuff. Oh, and use a lot of duct tape.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/shuttle