John Glenn Says U.S. Should Not Rely On The Russians For Transportation To ISS

Former Mercury astronaut John Glenn, who later became a United States Senator from Ohio and participated in a shuttle mission as a lawmaker, says that NASA should not retire the shuttle until a new U.S. space transportation system is ready to fly. Otherwise, he said, the U.S. will be relying on the Russians to transport crew and supplies to ISS for as long as 10 years.

Senator Glenn On Shuttle Mission

In a nine-page report published by the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State University, Glenn says "to save the expense of U.S. Shuttle launches (approximately $400 million each) we are contracting with the Russians for crew and light equipment launch services to and from our ISS at $55.8 million per astronaut.  Each total crew change of six, then, will cost nearly $335 million, with future charges expected to increase substantially.

"In other words, U.S. astronauts will for the next five to ten years have to move to a Russian launch site in Kazakhstan to train for final launch preparation on Russian spacecraft, launch, and return to a grassland landing area at the end of the mission.

John Glenn Aboard Freedom 7

"The Russians do not have a heavy lift capability, so launch service will be limited to personnel and light equipment.  Heavy “upload” or “download” will be nonexistent."

Glenn writes that the world’s only heavy lift spacecraft and the U.S.’s only access to space should stay in operation until suitably replaced by a new and well tested heavy lift vehicle.  "The Shuttle system is working extremely well, he says, "has had systems upgrades through the years, and has had “the bugs” worked out of it through many years of use.  The Shuttle is probably the most complex vehicle ever assembled and flies in the harshest of environments.  Why terminate a perfectly good system that has been made more safe and reliable through many years of development?  The Shuttles are the world’s most advanced spacecraft."

While Glenn does not think commercial companies should be cut out of the equation, he says the companies are, as yet, unproven. "Under NASA’s very close direction, every manned U.S. spacecraft has been built by commercial companies," he writes. "In fact, 83% of NASA’s budget goes to commercial entities.  Depending on commercial companies is not new.  That process has included strong NASA control, oversight and safety concerns.  It is a procedure developed over many years and with great care.  It has worked well.  Change should be made with utmost caution and only if it brings some major advantage.

"What is new is placing 100% confidence in smaller, less experienced companies if the Shuttles are retired, with no backup, for extremely complex missions.  I am glad to see multi-company interest in commercial space development, but at this early stage of their experience they should be phased in only after they demonstrate a high degree of competency and reliability, particularly with regard to safety concerns."

Glenn says in the short term, the shuttle program should be extended as the key to access to ISS. He says ISS should be used for long-term training for a potential Mars mission, and that a fully tested heavy-lift capability to replace the shuttle should be developed. In the longer term, Glenn says there should be unmanned exploration of Mars and nearby asteroids, a firm schedule should be set, and then "go to Mars."

Glenn also says that space exploration can't be done "on the cheap." "(T)he late astronaut Gus Grissom put it very succinctly many years ago during a discussion of funding adequacy for our first manned entry into space on Project Mercury," Glenn writes. “No bucks, no Buck Rogers.”

FMI: www.glennschool.osu.edu