July 9, 2001--
Two of the country's most experienced astronauts say we need to find ways to travel further and faster, in case we ever have to evacuate planet earth.
Hundreds of rocket designers and engineers heard the prediction today, as they gathered in Salt Lake City.
The story from Science Specialist Ed Yeates.
Moviemakers love destroying cities as ficticious rocks from space plunge into our planet.
But John Young and Bob Crippen - the astronauts who piloted Columbia on the first space shuttle mission - say don't be so sure it won't really happen.
In fact, John Young says we need to "boost" our boosters so spacecrafts can get us to other moons and planets for colonization. He says researcherss have recently narrowed what is called the "window" of risk.
JOHN YOUNG, ASTRONAUT: "THEY SAY THE CHANCES ARE ONE IN 667 THAT IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS, PLANET EARTH WILL EITHER TAKE A GIANT IMPACT OR HAVE A SUPER VOLCANO THAT WILL WIPE OUT ONE-THIRD OF THE SPECIES. THAT'S NOT GOOD."
The astronauts spoke to an international gathering of propulsion engineers at the Salt Palace. These are the experts who are designing new technology.
Bob Crippen says the old way of blasting humans into space has got to change.
ROBERT CRIPPEN, ASTRONAUT: "IF WE WANT TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE WAY WE GET INTO SPACE - TO MAKE IT SAFER, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE PROPULSION SYSTEMS THAT WE USE."
Engineers here will probably get a glimpse at some new rocket technology during this four day conference in Salt Lake.
"I THINK YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THE VASIMEER MOTOR - THE FRANKLIN CHANGS MOTOR - WHICH WITH SUFFICIENT POWER CAN PUT PEOPLE ON MARS IN 39 DAYS."
ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "THE ASTRONAUTS SAY COLONIZING OTHER PLANETS IS USEFUL NOT ONLY AS A BACKUP, BUT LIVING IN A HARSH EVIRONMENT IN SPACE WILL HELP US BUILD LARGE INFLATABLES ON EARTH - HUGE STRUCTURES WHICH IN A DISASTER COULD GROW A BRAZILIAN RAIN FOREST IN DEATH VALLEY OR AT THE SOUTH POLE. ED YEATES, EYEWITNESS NEWS, SLC."
The propulsion conference is an annual international forum for the aerospace industry.
This is the first time the forum has been held in Salt Lake City.
