$1.4 bill space lab sparks fierce science debate

The U.S. laboratory module "Destiny"

In this story: Protein crystals and human guinea pigs More than science on agenda RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Richard Stenger
CNN.com Writer

(CNN) -- Whether the centerpiece of the international space station becomes a scientific jewel in the sky or an astronomical waste of money after it goes into orbit this week is a subject of vigorous debate.

NASA has high hopes for the Destiny module, a $1.4 billion laboratory where teams of scientists will conduct weightless experiments aboard the fledgling space station Alpha.

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But critics consider the most expensive space station module a poor investment, calling most of the proposed research low-quality science.

The space station fared poorly in a recent poll of top astronomers in Europe and the United States, conducted by the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. More than 60 percent considered the venture a waste of money.

The crew of the space shuttle Atlantis plans to attach Destiny to Alpha on February 9. The 15-ton module will also allow mission controllers in Houston to take command of the space station from their counterparts in Moscow.

Senior space station scientist Roger Crouch looks forward to using the lab facilities in person within the next four or five years.

"It's a jewel in the sky. We'll have an opportunity to investigate a lot of phenomena that we haven't before," Crouch said.

Protein crystals and human guinea pigs

NASA needs several years to fully outfit Destiny, but research should begin aboard the module as early as March. Some of the first experiments will involve protein crystals and the station residents themselves, who will be subjects in studies of the biological effects of weightlessness.

"Just about everything changes in space, from the cellular level to the human level. To study the implications of these changes is a real treasure," Crouch said.

University of Maryland physicist Robert Park wonders if the treasure is really fool's gold.

"The general feeling of the science community is that science does not justify the cost. It doesn't mean that the science is wrong. It just means that the science is not that important," he said.

Ample research on the effects of weightlessness on humans has taken place on the Russian space station Mir during its 15 years in orbit, Park noted.

Crouch rebuts that Alpha will offer much better data because its high-tech instruments will surpass those aboard Mir.

"Suppose you go to the doctor and ask for a battery of tests. Looking at the diagnostic tools he had available ten years ago, there's no comparison with those available today," Crouch said.

Alpha proponents say the research will spur development of new medicines, shed light on the aging process and allow scientists to plan colonization of deep space.

Detractors argue that the space station won't live up to expectations and that it siphons money from unmanned space missions that provide better science at cheaper cost.

Moreover, some say, aspirations for humans to venture into deep space are premature.

More than science on agenda

"The question is what fuels the drive to put humans up there, colonization in the future. I don't see a great drive to colonize our solar system now. Let's colonize the South Pole first. It's a Garden of Eden compared to Mars," Park said.

Crouch concedes that there are many reasons besides scientific ones for the $100 billion space station.

"NASA never said that the sole justification is the science. Some of it is societal, political and educational. But if we are going to be a space-faring nation, then not doing the best science possible up there would be a dereliction of duties," Crouch said.

"When the results start appearing in the scientific literature, then people can judge the results themselves."

Countdown under way for Wednesday shuttle launch

NASA

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