Senators Target NASA on Shuttle Columbia Accident

Reuters ^ | September 3, 2003 | Deborah Zabarenko

[demlosers]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - NASA chief Sean O'Keefe faced withering questions from senators on Wednesday over his handling of the shuttle Columbia disaster, a week after investigators blamed the U.S. space agency's culture for the accident that killed seven astronauts.

"When do you expect this culture to be fixed?" Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, asked O'Keefe at a hearing of the Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

"This is going to be a long, long haul," O'Keefe replied, adding that the "beginnings of this change" would be evident in six months to a year.

O'Keefe told the senators he planned to put rules and procedures in place to effect cultural change. Later, he expressed frustration that some current NASA safety guidelines were taken as optional advisories rather than mandatory.

"When you write rules and procedures, mean it! Mean it! These are not just advisory," O'Keefe told reporters.

Sen. Ernest Hollings wanted to know who specifically was responsible for the Feb. 1 accident, in which foam falling from an external tank damaged Columbia's wing seconds after liftoff, allowing superheated gas to penetrate the spacecraft on re-entry and tear it apart.

"I'm trying to break through this 'culture' finding and fix responsibility," said Hollings, a South Carolina Democrat.

'GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD?'

Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas asked whether continuing the shuttle program was worth the risk and expense: "Are we throwing good money after bad?"

O'Keefe said a shuttle implementation plan expected to be released next Monday would address these concerns, and asked Brownback and others to keep an open mind about the program.

Harold Gehman, who headed the independent Columbia Accident Investigation Board, testified that while O'Keefe was accountable, the systemic problems that led to the disaster had been in place since a few years after the shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, also killing seven astronauts.

Gehman added that leaders, including those in Congress and the White House, shared responsibility for budget and schedule constraints that were cultural causes of the accident.

Gehman's board reported on Aug. 26 that NASA's culture was marked by "flawed decision-making, self-deception, introversion and ... diminished curiosity about the world outside." The report noted a complacency and willingness to give safety warnings short shrift in favor of keeping to a schedule.

The report further noted NASA's lack of a clear vision for the future of human space flight and the need for the aging shuttle fleet to be completely "re-certified" -- found safe to fly -- before the next mission.

O'Keefe has said previously that shuttles could fly again by March or April 2004. But on Wednesday, he said only, "It will occur when we determine we are fit to fly."

Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, challenged O'Keefe to put together a cost-benefit analysis on the future of human space flight, while noting the report's finding that NASA lacked a clear vision for this or an urgent mission for space flight after the end of the Cold War.

O'Keefe called Wyden's challenge "a very intriguing idea," adding, "I'll give it my best shot."

Shuttle flights were suspended after Columbia broke up over Texas, but one of NASA's most expensive programs -- the $90 billion International Space Station -- continued to operate, but with a reduced crew of two. Russian space vehicles have ferried supplies and people to the orbiting outpost.

[demlosers]

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (L) testifies next to the Chairman of the space shuttle Columbia Accident
Investigation Board, retired Navy Adm. Harold Gehman (R), before the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill, September 3, 2003. O'Keefe faced senators' withering questions
over his handling of the shuttle Columbia disaster, a week after investigators blamed the U.S. space agency's
culture for the accident that killed seven astronauts.. Photo by Larry Downing/Reuters

[demlosers]

Space Ping!

[demlosers]

NASA lacked a clear vision for this or an urgent mission for space flight after the end of the Cold War.

What vision? They lack long range strategic thinking.
Does NASA have a Mission Statement that states where they are going?

[LasVegasMac]

I thought this whole "culture" thing was an issue years ago - they were told then that they had "culture issues" - command and control, saftey, quality control, etc.

I know how the AF used to, and many civilian companys, solve "culture" issues...

You, you, you, and you, you, and you, too - your fired. You have 30 minutes to collect your personal belongings and be off the property.

Culture my butt! Start firing the "culturists".

LVM

[KevinDavis]

I'm not a big defender of NASA, however I'm getting sick and tired of NASA having to be perfect while other government agencies it 10 times worse than NASA.

Space Ping! This is the space ping list! Let me know if you want on or off this list!

[RightWhale]

Why is O'Keefe still there?

[irv]

Why is O'Keefe still there?

Don't complain. They might want to replace him with Dan Goldin.

[Paulie]

"I'm not a big defender of NASA, however I'm getting sick and tired of NASA having to be perfect while other government agencies it 10 times worse than NASA"

I'm inclined to agree. What NASA does is exceedingly complex and inherently dangerous. But I wonder - did NASA get this kind of treatment when Apollo 1 caught fire and three astronauts perished?

[mewzilla]

Gee, where was all this oversight between the Rogers Commission's report and the accident? Inquiring minds want to know...

[muffaletaman]

Haven't heard anyone point out in the mainstream medie that the EPA influenced Nasa to change from a superior foam that employed freon in its composition/installation to the inferior foam they are currently using that is freon-free.

They didn't use the BEST material available - they compromised due to PC pressure - and that underlies everything else...