Pilgrimage (The New World) (19 page)

Understandably for many members of NASA, as well as the grieving family members and friends of the astronauts, the remainder of the day was somewhat of a blur. The first priority for Ross was to contact Patty to let her know he was safe, and that he would probably be detained for some time at the cape. She had not been watching the launch on television, and therefore was unaware of the tragic event until he informed her of it. She broke into tears as he told her what had happened, and Ross knew she was reliving his previous launches with the same realization as his thoughts of a short time ago.

Next on the agenda was to meet with some of the senior NASA administrators, and discuss their next course of action. By now everyone in the world with the means or desire to know about the tragic accident was becoming informed. Film clips of the explosion had already been circulated by the news channels, and the major networks had cut into their regular programming with the breaking news. Ross, like everyone else, was dealing with some level of shock and disbelief at what had just transpired, but he maintained his composure as best as he could before digging into what would undoubtedly be several months of investigation.

IN THE DAYS,
weeks, and months that followed the Challenger disaster, the NASA investigation uncovered many flaws in the overall system. Without pointing fingers at specific individuals, a conclusion was reached that virtually all of NASA was to blame for the explosion of the space shuttle and the death of seven astronauts. Most everyone had assumed that the person next to them was so brilliant at their particular job that there was no need to double check their work. In short, NASA had become very complacent and self-convinced that their work was incapable of error. It was imperative that this mindset be changed before the space program could move forward again.

That level of self-enlightenment couldn’t have come at a worse time for NASA, as that particular mission of the Challenger was directly on the heels of the Discovery mission that had cost Dennis Strickland his life. While facing a room full of hungry media, Ross and other representatives of NASA pointed out that the two costly missions had nothing in common. Ross and Dennis had been to the Moon on a very successful mission from a technical standpoint, while the Challenger had been destroyed due to technical malfunctions. The parameters of the two missions were vastly different, and everything needed to make a moon landing successful had gone off without any problems. Dennis had lost his life due to an accident in a very unforgiving place, but it had nothing to do with equipment failure. On the other hand, the seven astronauts onboard the Challenger had lost their lives in the blink of an eye on what was to be an orbital mission that was wrought with equipment failure.

The difference between the two was clearly visible to those who could think beyond the death tally, but unfortunately for NASA, most of the general public didn’t see it that way. The ultimate truth was that a total of eight astronauts had lost their lives while on missions during a timeframe of less than three months, and a multi-billion dollar piece of equipment had been lost as well. In the midst of pressure from higher sources and the American public, NASA decided to postpone any future shuttle missions until all the apparent problems could be resolved. Their entire system of assembly and launch protocols would need to be revamped and tightly scrutinized, and it would probably be a few years until America launched another human being into space.

The ripple effect of that restructuring would prove even more costly to other aspects of NASA’s plans, as the follow-up missions to the Moon for construction of a base were placed upon the scrap heap. Ross and Dennis had become the first humans to set foot upon the Moon in almost thirteen years, and it now suddenly appeared as if that gap in time could be repeated before any Americans would attempt a landing there.

There was one unexpected bright spot for Ross during the first few months after the Challenger disaster, and it was something that would allow him to bask in a little glory. He was notified by his former high school back in Rumley of an honor that would soon be bestowed upon him. The school board had decided to rename the baseball field after him in recognition of his accomplishments, and retire his former jersey number. He was after all the first person from Rumley to receive an appointment to one of the Military Academies, which was a notable achievement in itself. To then become an astronaut that had ventured to the Moon, put Ross over the top. The entire town, with one exception, was very proud of him, and turned out in full force at the dedication ceremony. After a brief acceptance speech from a place set up behind second base, a tarp was removed from the new structure next to the scoreboard. Now rising high above the outfield fence was a sign with the name, “Ross Martin Field” over the top of a huge number “51” near the area where he used to play left field.

Patty and the girls, along with Jessica, stood to applaud with the rest of the gathered crowd. Only the few people, who were standing close enough to Ross, near second base, could see him blush. At the diner back on Main Street, a tired and grumpy old man sat alone in silence with his cup of coffee instead of attending the ceremony. He had recently retired after many years of teaching at the local elementary school, but was never able to publicly admit that he had been so wrong about his former students’ potential.

Later that day Ross and the family drove out to the old house that had been his childhood home. It had been a little over four months since Robert had died, and both Ross and Jessica had agreed it was time to sell the old place. They wanted to have one last look around before they put it on the market, and were surprised to see the old tire swing still hanging from the large oak tree in the front yard. Ross quickly decided he would take advantage of the opportunity to give both Aurora and Rachel a push for a few minutes, before Patty, and finally Jessica, each had a turn.

OVER THE NEXT
several years NASA worked very hard to fix all that had gone wrong with their internal structure, and had eventually become ready for a return to space. There was a great deal of hype associated with the first scheduled flight, and the mission had been labeled and over sensationalized by the national media as the “triumphant return to space”. Sadly, much to the dismay of NASA and the general public, that space shuttle mission would end up being postponed for a few months due to potential problems that were discovered within hours of the planned launch.

Ross had done his part during those difficult years for NASA as a trainer and consultant to the next generation of astronauts, and in the process had received another promotion to the rank of Captain in the Navy. Unfortunately with each passing year of the restructuring, and to some extent the over cautiousness of NASA to launch again, it had become clear to Ross that his days in space were probably over.

After much internal debate and soul searching, Ross decided in the summer of 1992 to try something new. Those close to Ross had given him sage advice about his chances of serving in public office, so he set his sights on challenging for a Texas House of Representatives seat in the upcoming November election. There were some local issues that both he and Patty felt strongly about, and they thought it could be a good way to help bring them into public view. The contingent of astronauts and their spouses helped Ross with some of the campaigning, while Patty worked on some of the mothers whose kids went to school with either Aurora or Rachel. Word of the well-liked and respected man’s bid for the seat spread like wildfire, and the local area elected the native Texan to office.

The following morning Ross resigned his commission as a Captain and retired from the United States Navy with slightly over twenty years of service. It was now time to serve his country in a different capacity, as with the addition of his four years at the Naval Academy more than half of his forty-two years had been in the military.

Aurora, who would be fifteen in a few days, and Rachel, who had turned ten the previous June, stood proudly by their father’s side with Patty during the farewell party at NASA. Jessica had been able to break away from her law office for the afternoon, so she was also there to wish her big brother well. The senior NASA administrator spoke in tribute to Ross for his seventeen years, as during that time he had been on three missions into space that included the last venture to the Moon. He had also helped train other astronauts for their respective missions, and had been a calming face for NASA when asked to step in front of the cameras and field questions from the media.

Ross worked hard at his new job within the Texas legislature, and made both friends and enemies because of it. He respected the views of his contemporaries, listened for information about any topic that could help him learn more about the new system he had entered into, and tried to do right by representing his district in a fair manner. In time he felt more comfortable with the job, and found a way to sway some former opponents over to his side on certain viewpoints. Ross introduced some legislation regarding benefits for veterans and people with physical disabilities into session, and then began to work on funding for educational goals within the state. At the completion of his two-year term, Ross was elected to a second term by a margin that exceeded his first. He continued to work hard, and was gaining support from those in his party.

In the meantime, his daughters were growing up fast. It had been decided by Ross and Patty when he was elected that the family would remain in Houston. That would ensure that the girls could continue to attend school with their friends, and Patty could stay close to many of the people she had met throughout Ross’ NASA years. He would make the drive from Austin for the weekend whenever possible, and would be home during the times when the legislature wasn’t in session.