GLAUER%BBNF@sri-unix.UUCP (12/23/83)
>From Aviation Space (Winter 1983):
How to select the first passengers for space flight has been the task
of NASA's "Informal Task Force for the Study of Issues in Selecting
Private Citizens for Space Shuttle Flight." Just the possibility of an
opportunity to join in the experience of space flight has generated a
multitude of requests for passage, however, it appears that only three
to four passengers will be included in flights during the mid to late
1980's.
Consistent with the purposes outlined in the Space Act, NASA is being
encouraged to open space flight by including observers who could:
o provide a comprehensive visual mission history, as well as real
time reports,
o write an interpretative history covering the scientific,
technical, and institutional achievements, and/or
o teach on the science, engineering, and biological principles'
integral to manned space flight.
The Task Force has identified potential pitfalls in selecting
passengers for the limited number of slots. The inclusion of civilians
should not be a publicity device, but rather a means of expanding the
level and types of expertise available to the space program. Some Task
Force members prefer opening the selection process to all Americans with
a national lottery. "Winners" would then be screened by NASA for those
most appropriate to the rigors of training and flight. Others favor a
purpose-oriented approach with a peer group selection process leading
to a list of individuals highly skilled in their fields.
The Task Force wrestled with the criteria that should govern the
suitability of all potential Shuttle passengers. Tentatively,
candidates should be:
o highly motivated to ride on the Shuttle,
o able to undergo one hundred hours of training over two months,
o able to pass the medical examination designed to minimize the
possibility of a hazard to the mission or the individual,
o adaptable to the living situation and working relationships
required by mission conditions, and
o willing to accept an appointment as a NASA employee during the
time of mission-related activities with employee rights and
responsibilities.
The Task Force recommends that NASA begin with a minimum program
until the demands of payload specialists, foreign astronauts, and
astronaut training are finalized. The determinations on who will be
eligible and how they will be selected is still open, but it seems clear
that interest in Shuttle flight, and the potential gain from expanding
the ranks of flyers will lead to including passengers on upcoming
Shuttle voyages.