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Monday, April 22, 2002 Space Shuttle Space Shuttle. Credit: NASA (CNN) - There's danger ahead for space shuttle astronauts unless the U.S. Congress pays for long-term upgrades to the aging spaceship fleet, a NASA safety expert said. "I have never been as concerned for space shuttle safety as I am right now," said Richard D. Blomberg, former chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's aerospace safety advisory panel...["U]nless Congress provides money to adequately upgrade the shuttle fleet now," he said, "Nobody will know for sure when the safety margin has been eroded too far." As Congress decides how much money to grant NASA next year and how the agency should spend it, lawmakers are growing frustrated with such internal institutional debates over the shuttle's future, whether it should be upgraded, replaced or both, and whether to contract out some of its services. @ 18:35 EST