GIGO

Soaring the Heights

Could Putaruru become known as the home town of New Zealand's first astronaut? It will if engineer Dr Delwyn Moller can get enough backing to make it into NASA's astronaut programme.

It's not so unlikely. Delwyn has gone from a 6,000-strong rural town to the 6,000-strong science and engineering corps of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US. Along the way she's become a radar engineer, a shuttle project leader, a helicopter pilot. She's got the science and engineering creds, but holding on to her Kiwi citizenship means she would need to have backing at a national level with New Zealand Government sponsorship.

I can remember watching enviously as the US and Soviet space programmes started to take foreigners on board -- French, German, Dutch, English, Cubans. John Denver once explored the possibility of funding his own space ride but, so the story goes, couldn't cope with the compulsory Russian requirement.

For much of my life, I've dreamed of getting into space, though I've become resigned to getting there only via virtual reality, as the commercial possibilities seem as far away as ever and I never got far enough academically.

Delwyn, however, has got a good chance of realising her goal, but she's not sure if our government would be interested in supporting the venture. It's hard to justify backing one person's dream when you're loaded down with governmental enquiries, ever-burgeoning welfare issues and the day-to-day wrangling that makes up a large part of our politial scene.

But think of the inspirational potential! Over the years there have been various efforts to improve the image of science and technology. Few have been memorable -- the only one which springs to mind immediately is the use of MacGyver as "pin-up" material at a Science Fair I once attended!

Put some national muscle into getting a Kiwi into space and you can guarantee that people will remember. What better way to boost the demonstration to our kids and our country that science and technology can take you places!

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.