Kathy Sawyer. (File)

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon's surface and walked into the pages of history. Kathy Sawyer, the Post's space reporter was online to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing.

Sawyer received the first of two Pulitzer prize nominations in 1969 and joined the Post in 1975. She began writing about space science and technology in 1986 after covering the Challenger shuttle explosion, and was a finalist in the now-defunct Journalist in Space competition that same year. In 1992, Sawyer became the first woman to win the National Space Writer of the Year Award. She has also written for other publications including Astronomy Magazine, the National Geographic and GEO.

Read the transcript below.

Washingtonpost.com: Welcome to our live discussion with the Post's Space reporter, Kathy Sawyer.
Thank you for joining us Kathy. We are commemorating the anniversary of the first moon walk this week. A lot of our users are asking about the likelihood that we'll return to the moon. Do you think NASA will launch another lunar expedition soon?

Kathy Sawyer: The short answer is no. Longer answer: NASA plans a bang-up ending for the Lunar Prospector, which has been mapping the moon from orbit: on July 31, they're going to smash it into the surface in hopes of confirming the presence of water ice there (first detected by a little Defense Department craft named Clementine). If there is ice that could be developed as a resource, this might revive interest in lunar exploration. The Japanese and European space agencies plan robotic missions to the moon in the near future. As for the return of humans, NASA has to get the costs way down or it's a nonstarter.

Alexandria, VA: I am old enough to remember the excitement of the Apollo program, especially beginning with Apollo 8's trip around the moon on Christmas. The billions spent to accomplish the moon landing, while mentioned in the press, was not considered exorbitant considering we were racing against the Soviets as well as trying to fulfill JFK's dream. Today, there is no Russion manned space program to speak of, nor any other for that matter, and the conquest of space is not the dream of any great figure in the world. And every dime NASA spends is scrutinized 7 ways to Sunday. So my question is, will we, in the forseeable future, make any attempts to go to Mars, or will we have to be satisfied with the space shuttle and the international space station?

Kathy Sawyer: As you note, the Apollo program was really not about building a space program, but was about beating the Russians. It was a sprint, and NASA (and the Russians) are now settling in for the marathon. They have to develop the tools and knowledge for safe, long-duration space travel (hence the space station, which as you know has many critics . One of their most critical needs, for many reasons, is a much cheaper way to reach orbit. Today's rockets are too expensive and temperamental. It costs $10,000 to put a single pound up. Until that's solved, it will be difficult to generate a vibrant, commercially profitable, popular and inspiring operation.

Washington, DC: I was very interested to see your article on Neil Armstrong this past weekend. In your career covering space, have you ever had more than brief contact with him?

Kathy Sawyer: Not really. I first encountered him when he was on the presidential commission investigating the Challenger disaster. I actually got to ask him a question at a news briefing on one of the Apollo anniversaries a few years later. That's about it.

Washington,DC: What sort of psychological tests does one go through to become an astronaut? One of the things that amazes me is that on the recordings these guys sound so calm and collected.

Kathy Sawyer: NASA's astronaut selection process is almost as inscrutable to outsiders as Neil Armstrong's personality. At first, of course, the astronaut corps was made up of test pilots who had proven their steely nerves independent of any pscychological probing. Now they've got a much broader diversity of types, gender and occupation, including astronomers and biologists and such. Some astronauts have written about their testing, some have "dissed" it mightily. Notably, Pete Conrad, who was killed last week, is famous for making fun of the process. For example, when the shrinks presented him with a blank sheet of paper, he responded: "It's upside down."

Washingtonpost.com: We're about half-way through our live discussion with Post reporter Kathy Sawyer. Submit questions by clicking on the hyperlink below.

Alexandria, VA: With your comprehensive knowledge of the space industry did you have more or fewer fears about going up in space as the journalist in space designee.

What was your biggest fear?

Kathy Sawyer: I'm surprised anybody remembers that competition. Actually, I had entered as a lark well before the Challenger accident, and well before I had ever written a word about the space program. I'm still working on that "comprehensive knowledge" thing. I guess my "fears" are definitely better informed than before--but I'm not sure that feels different from the other kind.

Vienna, VA: When President Kennedy anounced the goal of putting a man on the moon and returning him safely, before the end of the decade, did those involved with the space program think he was crazy?

Kathy Sawyer: Maybe not "crazy," but if you go back and read the history, the notion was a lot more controversial at the time than it is often portrayed in hindsight. Kennedy's vice president, Lyndon Johnson, played a significant role in pushing it politically.

McLean, VA: What will it take for the US to undertake the next step, exploration of Mars? Could excitement be generated among the public the way Kennedy generated excitement for a moon landing? P.S. I think that your Post articles are consistently excellent.

Kathy Sawyer: Thanks for the kind words, McLean. NASA administrator Daniel Goldin has indicated that there is no chance of a human expedition to Mars in less than about two decades from now. He cites the need for developing the expertise and technologies first. There are small groups of people, both in and out of NASA, working on various blueprints for Mars exploration. Some envision using natural resources on Mars to reduce costs. Some propose using the moon as a jump-off base. Again, the excitement will probably grow in proportion to the shrinkage in the cost projections, which have to be lowered somehow from hundreds of billions of dollars to mere tens of billions, for starters.

Wilmington, NC: Was the John Glenn flight of last year more of a public relations ploy, or did legitimate scientific research take place?

Kathy Sawyer: In my view, the Glenn flight was highly questionable as research. I think Glenn himself believed in the science goal (to study parallels between the effects of aging and the effects of weightlessness on astronauts of all ages), but he provided a "data point" of only one person--and in most contexts, that doesn't cut it. I was surprised, as I covered the story, however, at the emotional grip his adventure exerted on all sorts of normally crusty, tough and sophisticated folks who don't take particular interest, normally, in space activities.

Washington, DC: What sort of schooling does the average astronaut have?

Kathy Sawyer: They come in two main styles: the pilots, who often have advanced engineering degrees as well as a ton of flight hours in many different kinds of planes, including combat experience. And scientists, who often have several advanced degrees. The competition is tough. Some have credentials in every area.

Sterling, VA: With one minute of fuel left upon landing on the moon, how did the astronauts return to the space craft for return to earth?

Kathy Sawyer: They had separate descent and ascent fuel supplies, and could not use them interchangeably.

Tysons, Va: In the 60's most believed that the evolution of the space program would have us already on Mars by now and on our way to further exploration. Perhaps even stations on the moon.

Was this wishful-thinking? Or has the space program been slowed down by such events as the Challenger disaster, public apathy, etc? Why are we so far behind where so many we thought we'd be?

Kathy Sawyer: I think the Cold War space race was artificially hyper, rather than these days being disappointingly and artificially slow. There were a bevy of influences, such as the competition with the Russians, that will never be repeated. The program coasted on that reputation, grew lax in develping cutting-edge technologies, turned into a high-risk, impossibly expensive transportation operation that killed seven astronauts, and has had to virtually re-invent itself since then. It is only now developing the basic tools required for long-term space exploration at a realistic cost. Going to space is hard.

Washington, DC: The International Space Station will be absorbing the attention and funding of NASA for some years to come. Do you see a vision within NASA for the direction of the space program after ISS is completed?

Kathy Sawyer: If the space station "works," (and it has had little but trouble even getting off the ground), it could serve as a learning platform for future space expeditions. There aren't too many realistic destinations for human explorers: the moon, Mars, maybe an asteroid or two. Unless NASA develops warp drive, the nearest star is about 70,000 years away. I'd say Mars will be the next big thing--some day.

McLean, VA: Much of the space program deals exclusively with understanding our universe. Do you think that this part of our space program is in jeopardy because it has no commercial payback?

Kathy Sawyer: No, I think if the space agency has a grand vision, it is in this area. It is developing a series of robotic explorations under the Origins theme, which will try to tell the story not only of how the universe evolved, but how the first ingredients of life developed in the cosmos and eventually turned into--us.

Kathy Sawyer: Thanks, everybody, for your many good questions.

Washingtonpost.com: We're out of time now, so let's bring this discussion to a close. Thanks to Kathy Sawyer for answering our questions and for all who participated.

Back to the top