Florida Today January 12, 2003
Countdown for Columbia
By John Kelly
CAPE CANAVERAL -- The presence of an Israeli fighter pilot, who has flown combat missions against Arab interests, aboard an American space shuttle raised obvious questions about security and terrorism even before Sept. 11, 2001.
But the heavy security blanket covering Brevard's spaceport this month -- from snipers watching over the astronauts from helicopters to the combat air patrols by fighter jets to the deployment of mobile missile launchers along the Cape's beaches -- is not about one shuttle launch.
Instead, NASA and U.S. Air Force officials say they're concerned about protecting all of NASA's shuttles and space assets.
Between now and Feb. 2, not only is shuttle Columbia launching, but three expendable rockets carrying critical military payloads are set to launch, too. They say even if methods or weapons change, the protection has not. It spiked Sept. 11, and remained there.
In recent weeks, military units moved mobile missile defense systems into positions around the edges of Kennedy Space Center and along the government installations' beachside roads. The Air Force is not confirming or denying the weapons are there, trying to maintain some element of mystery about what defenses a potential terrorist might face.
The presence of missile launchers near the spaceport is not new. Reporters spotted two Avenger mobile missile units in November 2001 during a news media event at Patrick Air Force Base. When asked about them, officials confirmed their presence but said they would have to be moved because they had been seen.
Neither the Air Force nor NASA would comment on weapons or plans.
However, the Air Force has said the Defense Department would take whatever measures were necessary to protect the national space assets in Brevard County.
"Since 9/11, the 45th Space Wing has stated it is at a higher level of security and never wavered from that statement," said the base spokesman, Lt. Col. Mike Rein. ". . . It is our belief that no one should be surprised the 45th Space Wing remains in this higher security posture given it operates national space assets and the current world situation in the Middle East."
Space and defense analyst John Pike, of globalsecurity.org, also said he would be "not at all surprised" to hear of such weapons being deployed at KSC.
NASA's top security official, David Saleeba, said federal agencies from the Secret Service to the military have been available to help the space agency -- via the new Office of Homeland Security.
"And as things get, as we get closer to the launch, if we need more assistance, we have a variety of tools and assets at our disposal," he said. "We may or may not activate those assets, but we have them at our disposal. But right now the security for this upcoming launch is going to be very, very similar to other security we've had for the last several launches, which I consider very appropriate, an appropriate level of security."
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