
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 17, 1990                   TAG: 9004170469
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DON'T GIVE UP JUST BECAUSE IT'S HARD

I WAS SADDENED by the timidity of your March 24 editorial, "Space station: Problems of design, humanity." I have no argument with your reasoning that the space station will be extremely difficult and expensive to build. I strongly disagree, however, with your conclusion that "It may not be worth the effort to overcome all the natural obstacles to that activity."

I agree that humans are not compatible with the environment of space. Humans are also not compatible with the environment in which we travel in ships or aircraft. We are not even compatible with the environment of the polar regions of our own planet, yet over time we have learned to operate in these extreme climates.

If Ferdinand Magellan, the Wright brothers, or Roald Amundsen shared your lack of vision, we might all still be living in medieval Europe.

We must not give up on a difficult project simply because we do not know how to proceed. If a project is worthwhile, and I believe that the construction of a space station is indeed worthwhile, we will succeed.

PAT BANKS\ FINCASTLE

by CNB