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Battle for the space shuttle (12)
October 25
Manned Spaceflight Center, Houston, Texas

George Low faced Dale Myers one more time.

“Dale, I and James Fletcher spent a lot of time with Alexander Flax and Eugene Fubini. You have to understand that the so-called Flax committee has a lot of influence over the OMB.
We have to understand what does that Flax committee exactly wants, because their perspective will have a lot to do with the kind of shuttle we will be able to sell the OMB.”
“Ok George. I understand very well. So tell me – what is, according to you, Flax and Fubini vision of the space shuttle ?”
“Fubini is in fact leading the pack. And Fubini wants a big DynaSoar. He wants a glider launched by a fat Titan, a Titan III-L.”

Myers figure as he heard Low was of disgust.

“Here we go again – that damn glider. Your glider in fact. You know my opinion about it, do you ?"

“Oh please, Dale. You still don't understand. I know very well that you and your teams in Huntsville and Houston are convinced that a full-size shuttle is the only way to go.
What you fail to understand is the scope of the crisis we are embroiled in.
The matter goes far beyond the shuttle.
If we insist too much on a shuttle, we might lose, not only the shuttle, but manned spaceflight entirely. No, I'm not pessimistic. That's the harsh reality.
So Dale, we – you – must study all the alternatives in great detail so that those that are discarded should be discarded, not through arm-waving, but through facts.
By alternatives I mean the glider and, damn it, I even mean Big Gemini or Apollo, if that keep manned spaceflight going. Understand ?”

Myers looked hardly convinced the crisis was that serious.

As for Low, he felt his pledge fell of deaf ears. But what could he do about it ?
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