MAN will always have a natural fascination for space travel. Thirty-four years after Neil Armstrong first made his giant leap for mankind by walking on the moon, the mysteries of the final frontier remain as tantalising as ever.

But space exploration doesn't come cheap. And, if corners are going to be cut to reduce the massive costs involved, it would be better to abandon the space dream completely.

Yesterday's hard-hitting report into the Columbia shuttle disaster, which killed seven astronauts in February, shows unequivocally that budget restraints have had a detrimental impact on safety standards.

Complacency bordering on criminal neglect had clearly set in at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) with the result that crew members were condemned to death.

Mission managers were well aware that there were flaws in the shuttle system. They knew that they should be addressed. But that would have cost time and money, so chances were taken.

Because strikes by flying foam insulation had happened on previous missions, they were dismissed as "an acceptable abnormality" - with shocking consequences.

Those who flew in space shuttles before the Columbia tragedy must know how lucky they were to come back alive, now that Nasa's cavalier approach has been laid bare for the world to see.

Manned space flights must continue but not until the promised culture changes at Nasa have taken place.

Every astronaut knows that there will always be risks involved in pushing back the boundaries of exploration. But no more chances must be taken, no more lives must be staked, until the priorities at Nasa have been turned upside down.

In other words, safety must always come before cost and undue haste.

If the lost lives of the seven astronauts who manned Columbia are to be properly respected, there must no longer be such a thing as an acceptable abnormality in space travel.