October 28, 1998 Contact: Jill Bratina, Vanderbilt News Service, 615-343-6866 [email protected]
Is the Glenn Mission Real Science or Public Relations?
John Glenn has been America's Astronaut Icon for almost three decades. He achieved this role on a space flight of just under five hours. Not surprisingly, he's been attempting to return to space for more than ten years. Questions about his medical and physical fitness for space flight were raised in the late '80s, when there was renewed possibility of flying Members of Congress. (The U.S. flew Senator Jake Garn and Congressman Bill Nelson. As is tragically well-known, they also tried to fly a school teacher.)
None of these individuals flew to advance science, but rather to advance programmatic and public policy goals. Glenn's flight exists for these latter reasons, not for science. He has been a willing subject, and I am certain that the scientists feel fortunate to have him for their studies, but it was clearly not the reason he was given a seat on the space shuttle. It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that NASA didn't state its purposes honestly. I think there would have been widespread support for Glenn's flight. It has clearly excited millions of Americans who see a man of 77 years doing something brave and technically demanding. It also has substantial nostalgic value.
Having been in space for more than nine days, I can't imagine what it would be like to have been there only to leave four hours later. I wish him well. I am confident he will do a good job and will be an even better symbol following his return.
Drew Gaffney, MD Professor of Medicine Division of Cardiology Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Crewmember of STS-40 (Space Shuttle Columbia) 5-14 June, 1991
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