Very timely article Mike Wall It brings back 50+ year old memories!
In 1975, I wrote a 25 page Report which is still in ISRO HQ Library that outlined the strategy for India's participation in the Space Shuttle (and Space Station to follow then) Program.
Where would India have been with respect to Indian Human Spaceflight experience if then Minister of Space and PM Indira Gandhi would have had a vision forward like Biden and Modi have which has broken bureaucratic barriers on both sides.
There is path forward that is a win-win in long range in managing costs of Human Space Flight without compromising safety.
Motto of Apollo was "Fail, Fail, Fail but in tertiary safe mode"!. I had a part to play in managing Apollo 13 incident leading to modifications as well as in NASA agreeing to suggestions for future missions after Columbia Shuttle Mishap that could have saved astronauts including India Origin (like me) Kalpana Chawla.
I was working as Scientific Secretary ISRO HQ then after Dr Sarabhai invited me to help establish ISRO HQ. Prior to that i received Apollo Achievement Award for working on Experiments on Apollo Skylab Missions and on Phase B designs of the Shuttle and Station with NASA Associate Administrators Chuk Mathew HQ and Dr Von Braun (earlier Center Director at MSFC Huntsville) weekly meeting them for briefings and contractor reviews till 1972.
More in future
Ravi
(Dr. Ravi Sharma, Ph.D. USA)
NASA Apollo Achievement Award
ISRO Distinguished Service Awards
Former MTS NASA HQ MSFEB Apollo time frame
Former Scientific Secretary ISRO HQ
Ontolog Board of Trustees
Particle and Space Physics
Senior Enterprise Architect
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram