Sunday, April 17, 2011

Space Shuttles: Messing with Texas

Space shuttles are going to museums in Los Angeles, Florida, New York, and of course the National Air and Space Museum.
Houston, home of Johnson Space Center, was shut out.
Apparently Houston didn't mount a strong lobbying effort, but they shouldn't have had to. Did New York have to lobby for the 9/11 Memorial? No, because that's where the history happened. NYC and LA have less connection to the Shuttle than does Lafayette, Indiana, to say nothing of Dayton, Ohio - or Houston.
Texas congresspeople are up in arms, of course. NASA probably should not route a shuttle through Houston on its way to New York, or there may be a cordon of Congressional supporters, Texas Rangers, and linemen from both the Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys all forming a perimeter to make sure it never leaves. (To paraphrase the Incredible Hulk, "Don't make Texas angry. You wouldn't like Texas when it's angry.")

I doubt NASA's decision will change. But I sure hope it does.

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