Maroon

              The MAROON Vol. 64, No. 14 Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 January 31, 1986 NASA must bring back pioneer age, expert says By Rene Sanchez Editor in Chief The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger and the death of its sevenmember crew Tuesday could reduce the United States' commitment to space exploration, a campus expert in aerospace technology said Wednesday. "I fear there will be louder cries that say 'Why are we bothering with this?' " said Dr. J. Stuart Wood, a professor of finance who received a masters degree in aerospace engineering from Princeton University and worked on the country's longrange space program and space shuttle proposals in the early '70s. Wood said Tuesday's debacle is likely to increase claims that sending humans into space is too risky and costly just to obtain scientific data. And such talk is ignorant, he said. "Our only excuse for going into space is to put people up there," he said. "The whole purpose is to grow, to be pioneers and keep the race alive." Wood said the mood of the nation, though, will save space exploration from further budgetary setbacks at the hands of Congress, and from progress stifled by the grip of bureaucracy. "The Congress and NASA tend to misread the mood of the nation," he said. "People are more optimistic." Challenger's crash will not eliminate space shuttle use, but could slam shut other windows of opportunity in space. Wood said. "The shuttle will fly again. It won't stop because there is nothing else," he said, emphasizing that flights will start again in a few months despite the risks. But at least for the next two years, these flights will be used only for military purposes and satellite installation, and not for any civilians, Wood said. "We had become blase' about how easy it was," Wood said of shuttle launches. "But we don't have the technology to guarantee 100 percent safety. It's essentially a bomb sitting out there on the launch pad. I don't know if there is any way to make a safe rocket." Wood said NASA has to find more effective ways of launching shuttles, or any other spacecraft, without inherently dangerous rockets strapped to them. He said his observations of the explosion indicate that a malfunction in one of the shuttle's two rocket boosters prompted the flames that spread to the fuel tank, which contains hydrogen and oxygen. Danger is inherent in all space shuttle launches at this point because NASA cannot simulate any launch or early flight conditions, and there have not been enough launches yet to prove the reliability of the rocket boosters, Wood said. Tuesday's Challenger launch was the 25th in the space shuttle program. "That's 50 boosters, and Tuesday's accident means NASA is operating with a two percent rate of error so far," he said. "They usually operate at well above 99 percent reliability." Still, Wood said space exploration limited to shuttle missions is like rowing a boat around a harbor instead of exploring the edges of the ocean. "It's the only thing we have, but it's horribly inefficient," he said. Wood said he doubts whether this shuttle model, with its complete and expensive reliance on rocket boosters, will be able to help fulfill the goal of a space station. After its moon program was eliminated by government cutbacks in "If we don't go further into space, we'll be committing suicide as a race." — Wood A solemn moment Loyola students gathered in the academic quad Tuesday morning to watch the television coverage of the space shuttle disaster. WWL-TV asked several students for their reactions to the tragedy. —Photo by Tracy Smith Bishops oppose casinos, not lottery By M»ry Caff rey Assistant News Editor Editor's note: Gov. Edwin W. Edwards' decision to abandon his gambling prosposal Monday eliminated the need to examine legalized gambling's effects on a college campus such as Loyola. Still, the Roman Catholic Church exerted pressure against the proposal. This story examines that pressure. Gov. Edwin W. Edwards' decision to cancel a special legislative session on gambling stemmed from what he called a "lack of support" among legislators. But behind the Legislature's attitude were the voices of private citizens, businesses and in particular church groups opposed to casinos and lotteries."We got the word to the Legislature, and the Legislature got the word to the governor," Dr. David Mason of the New Orleans Federation of Churches said Monday on WDSU-TV. Louisiana's Catholic bishops expressed their opposition to casino gambling the day after Edwards announced his plan. "We must . . . oppose the proposal for casino gambling," the bishops said in a prepared statement on Jan. 9. "Our opposition derives from moral considerations, which include our concern for the effects on the lives of individuals as well as families and the long-range development of our natural resources." The Rev. Thomas Madden, S.J., Dean of Campus Ministry, said he imagines the bishops were opposed to the effects of some forms of gambling rather than gambling itself, a view which allowed them to make a distinction between casinos and lotteries.The bishops did not condemn the idea of a lottery, saying the people of Louisiana should decide if its benefits outweigh the costs. "The lottery is less likely to further enhance the image of the city as an immoral playground," Madden said. The bishops, statement reflected the Catholic tolerance for certain kinds of gambling, which is evident in the number of bingos and raffles used by parishes as fundraisers. "We make a distinction between casino gambling and bingo, which is social entertainment as well as fundraising for charitable purposes without incurring the evils of casino gambling," they said. The Catholic view toward gambling is unique because, unlike some other denominations, it does not condemn the games themselves. "Gambling is not immoral in itself," Madden said. "There is nothing in See Shuttle/page 3 See Catholics/page 5