The View from Space: Let me be brief

By John Holliman

April 1, 1998
Web posted at: 3:43 PM EST (1543 GMT)

This week's edition is going to be short since I've been working in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on the horror story there all week.

Among the things I've been most interested in this week is the civilian in space program. The idea of sending people on a short trip through weightlessness for $100,000 really seems like a great idea to me. There are enough rich people on Earth, or people who could get sponsors, to make the concept something real. The fact that NASA is studying it could make many of us space veterans by early next century.

The Russian cosmonauts ventured outside Mir on the first of four spacewalks scheduled for the month of April. Talgat Musabayev and Nikolai Budarin had to first solve the problem of the locked airlock. But, they still haven’t secured the solar panel on the side of Spekter which has been flapping in space every time Mir turns to face the sun.

The temperature problems on Mir that seem to occur every few weeks have been solved again. NASA spokeswoman Kate Malaga in Moscow tells CNN that the cosmonauts and astronaut Andy Thomas didn't complain about the temperatures, which went up to 90 degrees for a while last week.

The next shuttle launch is coming up in a couple of weeks. It's the Neurolab mission, in which scientists will try to figure out how the brain works to send messages to nerves and muscles in weightlessness. As you know already, this mission will last more than two weeks and could have positive results for people with neurological problems here on Earth. This mission is not getting much publicity in advance, but while the shuttle is up, we'll have lots to say about it here and on CNN television.

Since you readers are loyal to me, I hate to offer such a short effort this week, but the past seven days in my life have been filled with Earth-bound tragedy and horror, and there has not been time to keep up with space. I'll catch up before next week.

Related stories:

• The View from Space: All it takes is time and money - March 24, 1998
• The View from Space: If at first you don't succeed - March 17, 1998

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