By the end of that decade, I would be working in that same studio as a writer/producer for the Marshall Space Flight Center Television group. On numerous occasions, Byron would work with us adding "television host" to his list of proven talents.
Byron is a truly awesome individual. In addition to being very sharp and capable, he is also genuinely personable. I can't think of anyone I'd rather start off this series of e-nterviews than he. I know that he has an incrediblly busy work schedule, and I appreciate him taking the time to participate.
BL (Byron Lichtenberg): As a youngster, I really wanted to be an astronaut and fly in space. At that time, all the astrounauts were military test pilots so I decided I would have to do that first. To be a military test pilot you first have to be a military pilot, then get a Master's degree and go through test pilot school. So--This indicated that I had to be a military pilot with an education in science or engineering. I really enjoyed building things as a kid so I decided to go into engineering. As luck would have it, I did get a degree in aerosapace engineering, went into the Air Force, got a fighter plane (F-4) assignment out of flight school, and was on my way. Unfortunately, the Vietnam War was is full swing, so I went there. After the war, I had a wife and a new baby on the way and did not want to spend the years away from them that would be required if I stayed in the active Air Force. At the same time, I realized that the next generation of space vehicle, the Space Shuttle, would not only need pilots and engineers, but would also take scientists into space to do research. At that point I decided to become a fighter pilot with a Doctorate degree and hoped to get into the space program in that way.
TPA: How did you find out that you were going to actually get to fly aboard Spacelab-1 science mission?
BL: Before I got the nod to fly in space, I had to be selected to train for a space shuttle flight. I applied to NASA and also was nominated by my scientifc team that I was working with in the course of getting my Doctorate degree. The initial notification that I was selected to train as a Payload Specialist came through a telephone call. After 4 years of training, the scientists that had experiements on that specific mission voted to see who would fly and who would be the backup. We were called into the mission manager's office and given a sealed envelope with our position (flight or backup) listed inside. It was a bitter sweet moment, because, although I really wanted to fly, I realized that I had made a great friend with the other nominee, and that when I got selected, he was put into the backup position.
TPA: In addition to having the first American and European from outside of the astronaut corps to fly, your crew also included veteran astronaut and moonwalker John Young, as well as Skylab crew member Owen Garriott. Were you aware of the history that was unwinding all around you as you trained and flew on that mission?
BL: Yes, it was pretty evident from the reception that we got as a crew during our training that we were in the company of some very respected people. Clearly, the fact that this was the first mission in which a European would fly on the space shuttle, made our reception throughtout all of Europe extremely warm and wonderful. Even in Canada and Japan, we were treated incredibly well during our training visits there.
TPA: Tell us a little bit about the Spacelab-1 experience.
BL: Spacelab-1 was the first flight of the Spacelab module that had been designed, developed and paid for by the European Space Agency (ESA). While the primary mission was to verify the engineering operation of the spacelab, the way this was done was to select a large, representative group of experiments that would use all the capabilities of the spacelab. Because it was an international mission, we had experiments from all over the world as well as a European astronaut onboard for the first time in the US space program.
Much of the training was conducted in the countries that had experiments--this gave us an incredible experience in both culture, travel and other viewpoints around the world. Being the first of something is always special and this was no exception. It also meant that we were able to be a part of the development process, from training to procedures, to interactions between the scientists and the crew to integrating ourselves into the NASA astronaut corps. All in all it was a fantastic experience.
TPA: A decade later, you got to live and work in space again, on the ATLAS-1 mission. Did you notice any differences in flying aboard the shuttle, in the way science was conducted, or in the Earth's atmosphere?
BL: Things did change quite a bit in the 9 years between my two missions. The biggest change was due to the Challenger accident that happened about 7 months before we were scheduled to fly ATLAS-1. Everything from the training and equipment (we now had to wear partial pressure suits, parachutes, and get trained in water survival) to the way families were treated was different. The conduct of scientific experiments was pretty similar in that we had access to the scientists during the mission to interact with them the way we did in Spacelab-1. The atmosphere looked a lot more dirty, probably due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Phillipines shortly before our flight.
TPA: Now, in addition to your airline piloting duties, you are working very hard to allow others to share the experience of space flight. Please tell us about these efforts.
BL: While I need to fly to be a "happy camper", I also need to be involved with space exploration. Currently, I'm working on a "top secret" (to us) project that hopefully will be ready soon, and also on some more visible projects. The first is a company called Space Adventures, that is designed to bring the excitement of space activities to the general public. We just announced the company several weeks ago and will start with tours to space launch centers ( accompanied by astronauts such as me), adventure tours like going to Russia and flying in a Mig aircraft to the edge of space, or maybe to Hawaii to scuba dive and visit the telescopes. The other project is called the X-Prize which is an attempt to raise $10 milllion to fund a prize for the first private, suborbital, reusable vehicle that can carry 3 people to altitude of 100 km, return to Earth safely, fly again within two weeks and also return safely. This hopefully will help the general public realize that they can be a part of the space program. The eventual goal is to get companies started that can sell rides to outer space. Down the road we want to go to orbit, so this is just a first step. For more information on the X-Prize, you can look them up on the web under xprize.org. For more info on Space Adventures, you can call (301) 468-5554.
TPA: Why are you compelled to find ways for others to experience space?
BL: When I was in space I realized both how beautiful the planet is and how fragile it is. Also, in low Earth orbit, we see the entire planet in only 90 minutes. These experiences lead me to realize that my perceptions about myself and our planet had changed for the good. When I helped found the Association of Space Explorers, I realized that others shared that perceptual change and that it didn't matter what your nationality or background was, that we all experienced a similar emotion because it is human. From that point on I wanted a lot of people to be able to experience what I had seen. All my efforts today are driven from that point of view.
TPA: Do you feel we are getting closer to the day when space flight will truly be opened up to more "average" people? If so, how and when do you think that will evolve?
BL: I hope so! From the X-Prize activities, we believe that someone will successfully win the prize within two years. This still doesn't mean that people can buy a ticket at that time but at least we will be a step closer.
TPA: You've had many achievements in your career, what do you think the future holds for you?
BL: I hope that I will have a place in the "Race to Space" and in some way be able to stay involved in activities that will possibly get me back into space--this time as a pilot/tour guide I WANT TO TAKE YOU WITH ME!
Thanks for the oppurtunity to chat.