Back to the Future

I don't know. It's a bittersweet moment. For one thing, it feels like NASA is taking two steps forward and 1 1/2 steps back. I would love to see another moon landing in my lifetime, but does that mean the shuttle program was just a 25-year engineering project? I think the final crews of Challenger and Columbia, at least, deserve better than that. Of course, the idea is that by 2015 the ISS will be completed and will serve as the way station between earth orbit and the lunar surface. But, increasingly, I have my doubts as to whether the station can be completed by then. And, as a commentator on NPR pointed out this morning, if anything--anything--goes wrong with one of the shuttle missions between now and then, the whole deal is off.

On the other hand, it's nice to see a story like this land on the front page of the NYT, among other newspapers, and to hear human space exploration become a topic of interest again. I hope we can get to the moon again, but, even more, I hope we're ready to stay there this time.

In other retro news, CBS, which apparently now owns the Star Trek franchise, has decided the orignial episodes need a CGI upgrade. While I find this mildly interesting and am curious to see the results, does anyone really think that this will change the way people feel about the episodes? I've never watched Trek for the special effects, something the execs at CBS don't seem to realize (although I always enjoy watching the bit where Sulu and Kirk blow the shit out of that Klingon warbird). On the other hand, the episodes of DS9 and Enterprise in which we get to see those old ships recreated in all their shiny glory with modern SFX techniques bring a certain nobility to the franchise's roots. But, really, does anyone care if the alien landscapes look more realistic or the music is less repetitive? Fans have watched those episodes for 40 years with few complaints and the best of those episodes have never been about snazzy effects. I can't help think that this is less of a gift to Trek fans than a cynical Lucas-like ploy to remarket a franchise that has never needed the help of a media corporation to become an international phenomenon.