Washington, DC Nov. 15, 1997 – NASA Space Chief Daniel Goldin wowed Paris this week, with nothing but praise for the French space program, calling it 'progressive' and hailing its competitive pressures on U.S. companies. Nary a nasty word escaped from the often acerbic spaceman, who even showed up at an Arianespace launch party for the latest commercial Ariane 4 blast-off. Is Dan becoming a Francophile? Or is he looking for some Francs?
Goldin made a lot of noise in Paris during his visits with CNES, the French
space agency, about joint U.S.-French manned Mars missions. He coyly
remarked that it would be "wonderful" to see a French woman and American
astronaut walk the red dust of Mars.
But what Goldin was really doing was giving support to CNES and European
Space Agency officials who were struggling to see their manned space
capsule project survive ESA budget cuts. Ariane 5 rocket development has
remained at the top of the European space agenda, along with the
International Space Station program. But a manned space capsule project
that would give ESA and France independent means of launching astronauts
atop the Ariane 5 has languished, and some fear may never receive full
funding and support. Same with advanced space technology programs that
could form the basis of future interplanetary space missions with the U.S.
What Goldin was really interested in was ESA's money, invested in such
programs. Goldin made a point of saying that no one nation could afford to
"go alone" to the planets. Translation?: The U.S. needs partners to pay
part of the bill when the time comes again to sail beyond earth's orbit.
Sacre Bleu!
