Space Anniversaries

The Washington Post ^ | Sunday, July 25, 2004

[Frank_Discussion]

ALTHOUGH ONLY one has received any attention so far, there are in fact two important NASA anniversaries this summer. The first was the 35th anniversary of the first moon landing, which was greeted with appropriate nostalgia last week. Next month marks the first anniversary of the publication of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's assessment of the space shuttle disaster. That 248-page document identified both the physical causes of the Columbia explosion and "systemic flaws" within the U.S. space program. By this, the board meant not only problems within NASA itself, but the contradictory attitudes of those in Congress and the administration who set the space agency's goals and allocate its funding, often to cross-purposes.

[Frank_Discussion]

This is the part that made me post:

"If nothing else, these recent developments indicate that there is still no consensus within NASA or across Washington over where, exactly, the space agency is supposed to focus its attention, or what, precisely, its goals are supposed to be -- whether the observation of Earth, the observation of space or the planning of spectacular new missions."

There is no freeking "CONSENSUS" to be had! That's part of the problem - NASA thinks it has the authority, along with Congress, to reach a consensus. The President is the head of the Space Program, it is up to NASA and DOD to carry out their marching orders. Congress has some authority to step in because of budget oversight, but their current push to stop the new focused directives is beyond their purpose. They're supposed to facilitate the functions of the space program, not approve/disapprove leadership decisions!!

That's a giant problem that has been in the way for a long, long time. NASA seems content to wander the space desert for another 40+ years, and Congress is inclined to let them.

[unibrowshift9b20]

Thats a good point. NASA needs to submit to the new plan rather than wander about in short lived plans of its own making.