NASA chief: Houston, we had a problem

It's been nearly two years since the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, and the director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center says the agency is still fighting to change a broken culture blamed for the disaster.

"I fear that the culture at NASA had become - unknown to us - an environment where people did not feel free to voice their concerns," said James Kennedy, director of the KSC.

In an interview with the Opelika-Auburn News, Kennedy said he fully embraced a report released by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, which blamed the culture for the tragedy. Kennedy, an Auburn University graduate who took over the KSC after the disaster, said there's been a change of philosophy at his center.

"Everybody knows that they are free to speak their opinion and it's not only tolerated, it is cherished," Kennedy said. Kennedy returned to Auburn on Saturday to speak at the Second Annual Elements of Mechanical Engineering Conference. He still credits AU for turning him from an average student into someone capable of leading NASA's flagship center. Kennedy said he took specific inspiration from a strength and materials class.

"Normally, I would just go outside and take a smoke break," Kennedy recalled. "But I rushed home to study." Kennedy first began working with NASA at the age of 18, and after nearly 40 years with the agency he remains as enthusiastic as ever about exploring the final frontier. He sees a bright future for space flight, and believes the average Joe will soon get a chance to see the stars up close.

"I am all for privatization of everything we do at NASA," Kennedy said. "I'm not one who wants to hold it close to the vest and say this is NASA's domain."

The future of privatized space flight is already in the making. On Monday, a rocket plane funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen broke the Earth's atmosphere for the second time in a week, taking a $10 million prize intended to increase space tourism. The victory of SpaceShipOne, as the plane is called, comes on the heels of an announcement that paying customers will be able to go to space aboard a service called Virgin Galactic beginning in 2007.

"I'm excited about the day we can see industry take (space flight) over," Kennedy said.

FUTURE OF FLIGHT

With all of the risks associated with space flight, Kennedy says he's not surprised to hear calls to end human space flight altogether. After all, so many missions now can be handled by robots. But Kennedy sees the human element as essential.

"It's the inspiration factor," Kennedy said. "If people can see a robot walking on Mars, that's pretty inspiring. But imagine what it will be like to see the first human walking on Mars."

That day is decades in the future for sure, and NASA is still somewhat in limbo after the Columbia disaster of February 2003. Just last week, NASA's spaceflight leadership council decided to delay the spring 2005 launch date it had hoped would mark the return of human space flight.

LITTLE GREEN MEN

Are we really alone in the universe? The question presents one of mankind's greatest puzzles, and the very idea of intelligent life beyond Earth has spawned an entire genre of film and literature. But Kennedy thinks aliens are likely more than science fiction.

"I think there's probably intelligent life," he said. "I'm not sure if it's in our solar system ... I just don't believe we could be the only intelligent life in the universe."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.