Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Interview With Stephen Petranek

Aired September 03, 2003 - 15:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington, Congress is weighing in on the Columbia disaster one week after the release of the final investigative report. Testifying today before the Senate committee that oversees the space agency, NASA boss Sean O'Keefe and the man in charge of the independent investigation into the loss of the shuttle retired Admiral Hal Gehman.
Columbia disintegrated on reentry February 1, killing all seven astronauts aboard, as you know. The Gehman board concluded a piece of foam striking the orbiter's wing during launch breached Columbia's heat shield. But beyond that the board determined NASA's safety culture is in serious need of repair including overcoming nothing less than human nature.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: While this is human nature, human characteristic, and we see things repetitively that we take it for granted or begin to make assumptions or whatever else, it simply can't be tolerated here because the stakes are too high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The House committee that watches NASA will hear from Admiral Gehman tomorrow. NASA will announce a detailed plan for a return to flight at the end of the week or first part of next week.

Perhaps it's more a little ironic that the October issue of "Discover" magazine is about gravity since inside is an article about NASA, grounded since the Columbia accident and under fire ever since.

What's ahead for the beleaguered agency and manned exploration of space in general? Stephen Petranek is editor-in-chief of "Discover". He joins us from New York with some insight on all of this. Good to have you with us, Stephen.

STEPHEN PETRANEK, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "DISCOVER" MAGAZINE: Nice to be here.

O'BRIEN: All right, what should NASA do next?

PETRANEK: I think NASA needs a mission. NASA's sort of floundering in orbit with a space station that it can't get to, that we're dependent to the Russians to get to it. And I think NASA needs to sort of pull itself together and not frankly worry quiet as much about safety as they have in the past. I think it's time that NASA assumed that exploration is, in fact, dangerous, as it has always been and that there will be losses in exploration.

O'BRIEN: Right, but you don't want to overlook things like foam hitting an orbiter on the way to space either. I assume you're not suggesting that.

PETRANEK: No, you obviously don't want to overlook the obvious. You always want to be looking out for ways to make it as safe as possible.

O'BRIEN: All right, so in other words, take some chances here. So what's the idea? Declare the moon as a goal or Mars?

PETRANEK: Mars is probably the most realistic goal for us. I mean, one of the things that humans have to remember is that we can't continue to live on this planet forever. And sooner or later we have to get off this plant and try to find other places to live. For one thing in about 900,000 years the sun is going to boil away all the oceans on this planet.

O'BRIEN: Right, it will probably do a number on Mars, as well.

PETRANEK: It already has done a number on Mars. But there actually some very interesting studies that show us how we could teraform Mars and bring water which is contained in the soil of Mars and ice, and get oxygen out of the soil and actually make Mars a livable place again.

O'BRIEN: All right. Well, before we get too far down that road, let's talk about more immediate issues here.

When you talk about NASA not having goals, is it really NASA's job to set an agenda as bold as that? Going to Mars. Last time we had an agenda as bold as that it was the president who made that statement, made that goal, John F. Kennedy. Let's go to the moon before the end of the decade, at the time.

Isn't this something that has to come not only from the American people but perhaps from you know the White House?

PETRANEK: Yes, I think in this country that the space exploration is so expensive that the leadership really does have to come from the top.

And the president, himself, has to be convinced that this is the right thing to do, and the president has to step up to the plate, as George Bush Sr. did in 1989 and say, We should make going to Mars a priority. And that will focus the entire space program.

O'BRIEN: Of course, what happened was, after he made that speech on the steps of the Smithsonian Air and Space NASA came back 90 days later with a report back to him that was fanciful in its notions on how to get to Mars. It was bloated in every respect. Do you think NASA gets it now? PETRANEK: I don't know if NASA gets it or not. I'm not sure that NASA has every, so to speak, gotten it. And it's a remarkable organization and it's a wonderful organization and it's done huge good, really advanced our exploration of space in a way that probably couldn't have been done in any other country.

I don't think it's about critiquing NASA, I think it's about establishing a pathway for NASA to follow.

O'BRIEN: Do you think it's likely that the Bush White House, President Bush, in particular, would come out right at this junction at time, given all the other issues that are facing this country and say, Let's go to Mars?

PETRANEK: Great leadership requires great moments. This is a great moment. The space program is in complete disarray and no one is stepping up to the plate and trying to find a solution.

O'BRIEN: So that would be your memo to the president then, seize the moment.

PETRANEK: I would. And I think he would be remembered for it forever.

O'BRIEN: All right. Stephen Petranek with "Discover" magazine, editor-in-chief of that publication. Thanks very much for joining us. We appreciate it.

PETRANEK: Pleasure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 3, 2003 - 15:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington, Congress is weighing in on the Columbia disaster one week after the release of the final investigative report. Testifying today before the Senate committee that oversees the space agency, NASA boss Sean O'Keefe and the man in charge of the independent investigation into the loss of the shuttle retired Admiral Hal Gehman.
Columbia disintegrated on reentry February 1, killing all seven astronauts aboard, as you know. The Gehman board concluded a piece of foam striking the orbiter's wing during launch breached Columbia's heat shield. But beyond that the board determined NASA's safety culture is in serious need of repair including overcoming nothing less than human nature.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: While this is human nature, human characteristic, and we see things repetitively that we take it for granted or begin to make assumptions or whatever else, it simply can't be tolerated here because the stakes are too high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The House committee that watches NASA will hear from Admiral Gehman tomorrow. NASA will announce a detailed plan for a return to flight at the end of the week or first part of next week.

Perhaps it's more a little ironic that the October issue of "Discover" magazine is about gravity since inside is an article about NASA, grounded since the Columbia accident and under fire ever since.

What's ahead for the beleaguered agency and manned exploration of space in general? Stephen Petranek is editor-in-chief of "Discover". He joins us from New York with some insight on all of this. Good to have you with us, Stephen.

STEPHEN PETRANEK, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "DISCOVER" MAGAZINE: Nice to be here.

O'BRIEN: All right, what should NASA do next?

PETRANEK: I think NASA needs a mission. NASA's sort of floundering in orbit with a space station that it can't get to, that we're dependent to the Russians to get to it. And I think NASA needs to sort of pull itself together and not frankly worry quiet as much about safety as they have in the past. I think it's time that NASA assumed that exploration is, in fact, dangerous, as it has always been and that there will be losses in exploration.

O'BRIEN: Right, but you don't want to overlook things like foam hitting an orbiter on the way to space either. I assume you're not suggesting that.

PETRANEK: No, you obviously don't want to overlook the obvious. You always want to be looking out for ways to make it as safe as possible.

O'BRIEN: All right, so in other words, take some chances here. So what's the idea? Declare the moon as a goal or Mars?

PETRANEK: Mars is probably the most realistic goal for us. I mean, one of the things that humans have to remember is that we can't continue to live on this planet forever. And sooner or later we have to get off this plant and try to find other places to live. For one thing in about 900,000 years the sun is going to boil away all the oceans on this planet.

O'BRIEN: Right, it will probably do a number on Mars, as well.

PETRANEK: It already has done a number on Mars. But there actually some very interesting studies that show us how we could teraform Mars and bring water which is contained in the soil of Mars and ice, and get oxygen out of the soil and actually make Mars a livable place again.

O'BRIEN: All right. Well, before we get too far down that road, let's talk about more immediate issues here.

When you talk about NASA not having goals, is it really NASA's job to set an agenda as bold as that? Going to Mars. Last time we had an agenda as bold as that it was the president who made that statement, made that goal, John F. Kennedy. Let's go to the moon before the end of the decade, at the time.

Isn't this something that has to come not only from the American people but perhaps from you know the White House?

PETRANEK: Yes, I think in this country that the space exploration is so expensive that the leadership really does have to come from the top.

And the president, himself, has to be convinced that this is the right thing to do, and the president has to step up to the plate, as George Bush Sr. did in 1989 and say, We should make going to Mars a priority. And that will focus the entire space program.

O'BRIEN: Of course, what happened was, after he made that speech on the steps of the Smithsonian Air and Space NASA came back 90 days later with a report back to him that was fanciful in its notions on how to get to Mars. It was bloated in every respect. Do you think NASA gets it now? PETRANEK: I don't know if NASA gets it or not. I'm not sure that NASA has every, so to speak, gotten it. And it's a remarkable organization and it's a wonderful organization and it's done huge good, really advanced our exploration of space in a way that probably couldn't have been done in any other country.

I don't think it's about critiquing NASA, I think it's about establishing a pathway for NASA to follow.

O'BRIEN: Do you think it's likely that the Bush White House, President Bush, in particular, would come out right at this junction at time, given all the other issues that are facing this country and say, Let's go to Mars?

PETRANEK: Great leadership requires great moments. This is a great moment. The space program is in complete disarray and no one is stepping up to the plate and trying to find a solution.

O'BRIEN: So that would be your memo to the president then, seize the moment.

PETRANEK: I would. And I think he would be remembered for it forever.

O'BRIEN: All right. Stephen Petranek with "Discover" magazine, editor-in-chief of that publication. Thanks very much for joining us. We appreciate it.

PETRANEK: Pleasure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com