GAO: NASA Assessments of Selected Large-Scale Projects
"Many of the projects GAO reviewed experienced challenges in developing new or retrofitting older technologies, stabilizing engineering designs, managing the performance of their contractors and development partners, as well as funding and launch planning issues. Reducing the kinds of problems this assessment identifies in acquisition programs hinges on developing a sound business case for a project."
- Obama ends moon program, endorses private spaceflight, CNet
- NASA reboots, focuses on cheaper, sustainable exploration, Arc Technica
- Private Spacefligth Goes Public, MSNBC
- NASA budget kills Constellation program, shifts work to private space contractors, Huntsville Times
- Obama: we don't like the Moon, Nature
- New flight plan: Risks and opportunities in NASA's budget, Houston Chronicle
- We Have No Liftoff: Obama's Plan Grounds NASA, Time
- Obama budget oozes uncertainty for NASA, Florida Today
- NASA funding plan takes a broader view, Orlando Sentinel via LA Times
- U.S. space surrender, Orlando Sentinel
- Shooting for the Moon, The Times
NASA Internal memo: Message from the NASA Administrator: Feb. 3, 2010
"In anticipation of the President's new vision for NASA, I have been working closely with the NASA senior leadership team to ensure that we are ready to take on the opportunities we have been given. Early last fall, I asked Deputy Administrator Lori Garver to lead an Institutional Readiness Project (IRP) that focused on improving the area of institutional management. She and the IRP Team can be credited with surfacing progressive ideas that culminated into recommendations for organizational changes. Accordingly, I have notified the Congress that I intend to implement some organizational changes at NASA."
- NASA Administrator Names Braun NASA Chief Technologist
- NASA Administrator Names Woodrow Whitlow Associate Administrator for Mission Support
- Christensen Appointed Director for Ames International Space Station Office
"At a National Press Club event to "introduce new commercial space pioneers," the President's Science Advisor John Holdren and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden yesterday praised the seven winning companies of NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) and Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competitions."
- Boeing Chosen By NASA for Commercial Crew Development Initiative Funding
- Orbital Sciences Corporation Statement on NASA's New Direction
3 Feb 2010 Witnesses:
- Hon. Paul K. Martin, Inspector General, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Ms. Cristina T. Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office
- Vice Admiral Joseph W. Dyer [U.S. Navy, retired], Chair, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, National
WEBCAST (I had big problems with this webcast today)
Keith's note: Hmm... Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, known Ares 1 hugger, who is anti-commercial spaceflight and an Augustine critic - and Joe Dyer (ditto) at the same hearing. Gee, I wonder what they will talk about ...
- Key Issues and Challenges Facing NASA, Statement of NASA OIG Paul K. Martin
- NASA Key Management and Program Challenges Statement of Cristina Chaplain, Director Acquisition and Sourcing Management, GAO
- Congressional Hearing on Safety, earlier post
On Obama’s change in NASA’s direction:
First let me say that I am genuinely concerned for my buddies working the Constellation program. I pray for them that their families and their careers may be provided for. I’m really glad that Obama asks for $2.5 Billion in Constellation closeout costs, because I hope that that keeps paying for my friend’s kid’s baby food. I have already felt the same way for my friend’s valiantly supporting the shuttle throughout it’s glorious ULF5(7?) end. It’s like knowingly marching towards a cliff because you believe in what you are doing.
With regard to the constellation program, here is what is wrong with it, which feelings I have held long before Monday’s Moon shattering revelations:
The Lunar Lander contract was not funded. Ares 5 was not funded. And it was January 2010. Come on! The RFI for the Altair Conceptual Design Contract came out a long time ago!
Europe, Russia, Japan, and China were completely out of the Constellation picture. That’s not cool. And that’s not economically viable. And international partnerships are probably the deciding factor for why the space station has survived to maturity.
Those were probably my biggest misgivings about the current program. When you read the awesome fanfare and plans with which the program was announced, it’s easy to see why so many people love it, but the Constellation program, as pointed out by our Augustine graybeards, wasn’t living up to the hype, and needed even more cash than Obama is giving the agency to get going.
With regard to the new program, It really is pouring in a lot of money into developing new capabilities. Whatever Obama’s 8 year successor dreams up (moon, mars?), he will have a beefier toolbox to make his plans with. If Obama gets a advanced interplanetary propulsion (VASIMIR) and a matured heavy launcher and multiple commercial providers for crew to Low Earth Orbit by the end of his presidency… that would be so enabling-ly awesome.
Any multi-billionaire person or government could throw some seriously cool hardware to all of the places in the inner solar system that they wanted to go. So long as that person was buddy with the US government and Obama follows through with that export control reform.
The program of record would not do that.
So I’m excited about the new direction.
And by the way, for the first time since George Bush Senior, NASA’s budget will see year over year increase. Clinton reduced the budget 7 out of his 8 years. George W funded NASA at lower levels than he himself established in the VSE in 2005. It’s like getting a mortgage on your house that costs $2000 a month because your boss says that you are getting a raise, and then he doesn’t give it to you, so you are stuck with your income of $1900. What happens to a space program in that situation? Crappy design. Behind schedule. COMPROMISE!
Rock on Obama’s 2011 NASA Budget! May you live forever (Or at least through the Congressional process, which is run by a bunch of vote hungry short sighted sensationalists!)
"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden outlines the Administration's fiscal year 2011 budget request as the agency's road map for a new era of innovation and discovery, and answers questions from reporters as the featured Newsmaker at the National Press Club in Washington Feb. 2"
Keith's note: If you go to 55:18 in this video, I ask Charlie Bolden how he is going to get people to make the transition from flying government-operated spacecraft to commerically- operated spacecraft - and the emotion that goes with making the transition from one way of thinking to another. Bolden's reply gets deep into the emotions and mindsets that underly the changes that the Constellation workforce is now going through - and how he is going to work through that process with them.
Transcript below
Cowing: "To the issue of flying astronauts in commercial vehicles: After all the talk yesterday I sort of sat around last night doing a mental, totally unscientific poll in my head of people I have talked to - people like Ken Bowersox who work for these companies. I came up with a number - 60% of the astronauts say "nah, I wouldn't do it" - and 40% who would. And then I thought - "well, what's behind this?" Its all emotional - its like some emotional latter day "Right Stuff ". They use logic to defend why they would not [fly]. How do you get beyond that? What are you going to say to the astronaut corps - "this is how it is?" Its not just the Corps - its the larger group of people that support them. How are you going to work at that?"
Bolden: "My message to the work force - did everybody understand Keith's question? First of all, and he hit the mail on the head. This is all emotional. And the reason that I started my comments by thanking the Constellation Team - you've got to understand, everybody has had a death in the family. To people who are working on these programs, this is like a death in the family. Everybody needs to understand that. And we need to give them time to grieve, and the we need to give them time to recover.
I have an incredible workforce of civil servants and civilians. They have been through this before. This is just part of the life of being in NASA. And every time we manage to pull through it, and we manage to recover, we go off and do great things. This time will be no different. Now, that doesn't make an employee at the Kennedy Space Center or the Johnson Space Center or Marshall Space Flight Center or a contractor that any of these seven people represent - that doesn't give them a great sense of solace. Because they are facing reality.
But what I tell them is - Look, we're going to get through this. Stick with us - if you can. Some of you will decide that this just isn't exciting enough for you - and you want to go do other things. And I appreciate the service that you have given. Allow us to help you in your transition and if at all possible let us help you find some work somewhere else that is going to be passionate to you. I am a big person for passion. I am here because I am passionate about space and exploration. Otherwise I'd be sitting in Houston, Texas or I'd be in San Diego with my three granddaughters. I am here because I am passionate about this. I cry about it some times - so what.
This is my life. This is their lives. And give them a little time. They'll come back. And they are going to be as great as they have always been. So, just bear with them, and give them some time - they'll be back."
Keith's note: I can totally understand this. We went through an identical mindset at the Space Station Freedom Program Office in 1993. Something we had worked very hard on was taken away from us - unfairly, so we believed. We wanted to fight back - to tell the truth. But all we had was fax machines and email. FWIW it is out of my personal frustration with this experience that NASA Watch eventually emerged a few years later.
As time passed, and the bitterness faded, and the ISS became what it is, all of us from Freedom program eventually realized that "ISS" or "Alpha" was indeed "Freedom" after all. It was also clear that while a lot of what we did ended up in boxes sent off to recycling, that a small part of our efforts - our creativity - and our souls - ended up on orbit. That will happen for the Constellation folks as well.
Charlie Bolden talked about this today at the National Press Club in response to a question I asked.
If y'all want to use NASA Watch to vent, be my guest. I'll let you post without any commentary from me.
I have omitted all unnecessary detail. But this email has been getting very very wide circulation within CxP.
"From:Hanley, Jeffrey M. (JSC-ZA111)
Sent:Tuesday, February 02, 2010 4:06 PM
To:JSC-DL-Cx-Senior-Staff
Subject:Fw: Save Constellation! (The Video)
From: [DELETED] (JSC-ZA111)
To: Hanley, Jeffrey M. (JSC-ZA111) [DELETED]
Sent: Tue Feb 02 14:53:10 2010
Subject: FW: Save Constellation! (The Video)
In the vein of 'not going down without a fight, 'one of our key I-X members put together this video after hearing about the proposed demise of CxP. It's a great memory of how far we have come in making real stuff in such a short time. You have to love our collective team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2IQVZmHnJQ"
"From:Turzillo, Calvin P [mailto:DELETED@usa-spaceops.com]
Sent:Tuesday, February 02, 2010 9:14 AM
To: Huge email list [DELETED at UNITED SPACE ALLIANCE LLC]
Cc:[DELETED at UNITED SPACE ALLIANCE LLC]
Subject:Save Constellation! (The Video)
You all know me, I'm not the passive type. Instead of just sitting back, I am going to take a stand. I've stayed up for 26 hours straight and dug through hundreds of hours of NASA archive footage. The end result is what I consider to be my best video to date. I even fully licensed the music so there is no legal ambiguity.
Post, distribute, and forward as you see fit. I tried to hit all the key folks that would be interested, but there are still plenty more that I have missed. Let's make the public aware that we need to save Constellation!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2IQVZmHnJQ
Calvin Turzillo
The thoughts and opinions expressed in the message are my own, and may not reflect those of NASA or its contractors."
Anonymous NASA Employee: The following youtube video, although originally created by a disgruntled USA employee from JSC, is now being widely circulated by the Cx program and none other than Jeff Hanley himself (see entire thread below).
The disturbing aspect of this is that the "save constellation" video reeks with distortions right from the beginning ... showing President Obama making the promises to keep NASA strong and maintain USA leadership in space, and then goes on to lament that "the PROMISE has been broken" .... with a stream of supposed Cx accomplishments following. The implication that Obama is bringing down human space-flight and breaking promises is disingenuous at best and a downright fabrication at worst. Maintaining a strong NASA and leadership in space does not (contrary to what the Cx-huggers would have one believe) necessarily mean funding a failed program indefinitely just because JSC thinks it should be so. Nowhere in the lead in to this video does the President to keep the Constellation program. Some might argue, including the Augustine commission, that dismantling Constellation is an act of immense support for NASA and the only way to sustain a strong program that won't we swallowed by cost overruns and misguided goals. The fact that Hanley is participating in the distribution of this kind of propaganda is deplorable. He should be removed immediately and certainly should not take part in planning exercises related to NASA's new direction. This is just one example of this kind of "dig-in" philosophy that is the undertone of all Cx led tele-cons (and I've been in on several already this week) describing the new vision. If we are lucky, part of the reason for canceling Constellation rather than restructuring it, is to make it easier to replace the entire management team going forward.
Other flaws of the video? The Desert Rats activity shown as immediate evidence of what has been built isn't even part of the Constellation program and will probably be protected under the new direction. The Ares 1X footage is weak at best if the intent is to show that we've made so much progress that NASA will be in ruins if we stop now. On the contrary, it may be in ruins if we continue. Time "invention of the year" aside, most engineers willing to really examine the evidence know that Ares 1x was as much a PR stunt as a demonstration of an advanced rocket. And then the video goes on to talk about the thousands of jobs that will be lost and the dreams of future generations that will go unrealized. For many people it is not a dream to repeat the accomplishments of 40-years ago using non-innovative technologies, being trapped with a point-design solution that gets us to the moon but nowhere else ... while at the same time robbing NASA of funds necessary for broader programs in space and Earth science (despite the "Earth, Moon, Mars" wording on the final pages pleading for people to contact their representatives.
Although I respect and admire the dedication of the person who made this, ultimately it is propaganda at its worst and has no place being forwarded endlessly by high-level Cx Project managers. These people claim to support Mr. Bolden and the change in direction as an opportunity while actively fueling resentment and deflating morale by encouraging the distribution of this kind of misguided and flawed message.
Alabama lawmakers vow to save Constellation moon mission, Huntsville Times
"Already, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., plans to use a Feb. 24 hearing to explore the feasibility of continuing with Ares I testing in the hope of developing a "light" version of the Ares V cargo launch vehicle "so America isn't relying only (on) commercial vendors," a spokesman said via e-mail."
Hatch Blasts Obama, The Main Street Journal
"Hatch has played a vital role in helping Utah's NASA contractors diversify their manufacturing base and products. Over the past three years, for example, he helped secure nearly $30 million for ATK/Hill Air Force Base's Advanced Automated Composite Technologies and Manufacturing Center."
Giffords should resign as Chair of Space Subcommittee, Jesse Kelley For Congress
"Representative Gabrielle Giffords should immediately resign as Chair of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. She has a clear conflict of interest from the tens of thousands of dollars her campaign has received from the aerospace industry. She took in over $10,000 in one day alone from people at large corporations such as ATK, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and United Space Alliance. These are companies who stand to make or lose millions of dollars based on decisions made by her subcommittee."
Jobs at stake in Louisiana as NASA shifts gears, Business Week
"In a statement, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said he was concerned about the shift in the space program's direction, saying it would be devastating for Michoud. He said he favored a plan building on existing technologies based on the shuttle. "But we should do it now, not just talk about it vaguely for the future and lose all of our human capital and expertise and Michoud and other centers," said Vitter, a member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science and Space."
Battle over NASA's future heads to Congress, Orlando Sentinel
"President Barack Obama's proposal to kill NASA's moon program and replace it with commercial rockets has drawn the ire of both Democrats and Republicans, who protest the move is either a "death march" for human spaceflight or a "radical departure" that will cost thousands of jobs."
Keith's note: Brett Alexander will take on Mike Griffin on PBS Newshour Tonight at 6pm EST
Transcript and video, PBS
NASA's 7 new space pioneers are companies, AP via Forbes
"A half century ago the Mercury Seven embodied America's space future. Now it's the merchant seven - space companies for hire. Mimicking a scene 51 years ago when the Mercury astronauts were revealed, NASA's boss beamed Tuesday as he introduced the "faces of a new frontier:" representatives of the seven companies that NASA is funding to develop future private spacecraft."
Defending the moon, Homer Hickam
"Here is a list of six reasons why the United States should make it a national goal to establish a laboratory on the moon, similar to our Antarctic South Pole Station:
1. National prestige. Many decisions are made in other countries based on how they perceive us . Are we young and dynamic and growing or are we old, lethargic, and dying? If we are considered the latter, we will be attacked in both overt and subtle ways.
2. Growing our economy based on technological and scientific leadership. If we accomplish great engineering and scientific tasks, such as going to the moon and staying there, we will attract the best and brightest minds in the world to not only help us on the moon but to keep us advancing in all technologies. This equals a dynamic, nimble, robust, long-term economy. ...."
Keith's note: Places where you can expect to hear Charlie Bolden, Lori Garver, and others spell out what NASA's budget means - and what the agency will and will not be doing with that budget:
Keith's update: Late Sunday night NASA announced that the NASA budget press conference slated for 3:00 pm EST on Monday has been cancelled in favor of a dial-in media telecon at 12:30 pm EST. Instead of the original plan to give the media 2.5 hrs to review budget info before the press conference it would seem they will have no time to review it - so don't expect much in the way of informed questions - on a telecon certain to be overcrowded. According to NASA: "To dial into the news conference, news media representatives should call: 800-857-5728 or 1-630-395-0025 and use the pass code "NASA". A limited number of phone lines are available, so people are encouraged to call early. Replays of the teleconference will be available approximately one hour after the call ends. To listen to a replay, call: 866-431-2903 or 203-369-0952."
- 1 Feb: OSTP 2011 Federal R&D Budget Briefing: OSTP officials brief media and "stakeholders" at the AAAS from 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST. Webcast (registration required). Lori Garver will be there. Budget materials will be online at OMB at this point.
- 2 Feb: NASA event at National Press Club: Event starts at 10:00 am EST. According to NASA "On Tuesday, Administrator Bolden, Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will introduce new commercial space pioneers, launching a game-changing way of developing technology to send humans to space." Watch it live on NASA TV
- 3 Feb: Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee - Hearing: Key Issues and Challenges Facing NASA: Views of the Agency's Watchdogs: 10:00 am EST - hearing runs for two hours. You can expect Subcommittee Chair Rep. Giffords to pick up where she left off at a previous hearing wherein she will bash Norm Augustine and the Administration's plans to change the Constellation program - specifically Ares 1. ASAP Chair Adm. Dyer will be in agreement with Giffords for the most part but NASA OIG Martin will probably end up pointing to the OIG's previous work (and GAO's) which cast continual doubt about the pace and maturity of the Constellation program - as implemented by NASA.
- 11 Feb: 13th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference 10-11 Feb: Bolden speaks from 8:00 - 8:45 am EST. This is the place, space fans, where the big picture will emerge. Hopefully it will be on NASA TV
- 12 Feb: The State of the Agency: NASA Future Programs Presentation: All day. Don't bother to RSVP - there are no more seats available. Watch it on NASA TV. NASA is only allowing some media (Space News and Nature) into the event (where they can ask questions) while other publications/websites are not being allowed to send representatives. I am told this has to do with seating limits. Duh. No one seems to have planned for media. Oh well. These events are held every year and tend to be rather bland and dumbed down. Mostly its like a low key high school reunion where retirees get generic updates as to what the agency is doing. However, given that this event happens the day after the AST event, lots of questions will be floating around - so it may be a little more peppy than it would otherwise be.
- 18-19 Feb: NASA Advisory Council Meeting: You will certainly see additional detail presented by Bolden and senior staff at this meeting - i.e. charts to back up previous public comments. Media may manage to grab Bolden et al in the hallway.
- 17-20 Feb: Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference: Lori Garver speaks on Thursday, 18 February. Given the high amount of commercial interest and participation in this event and some exciting presentations by others, you can be certain that more detail on NASA's commercial plans will emerge one way or another.
And, of course, there will be leaks in between all of these events 😉
Keith's note: Now that NASA has been directed by the White House to cancel Constellation, and with it, all of NASA's big time lunar ambitions, I wonder when they will start to yank things like this sad dancing Moon walker animation offline. Seriously - this is not an insignificant task since there is an immense amount of VSE-related material that NASA has put online since 2004 that will now need to be modified or deleted. In addition, many third party websites contain large amounts of this material as well. And when do you start? Now? When Congress gives up trying to stop this cancellation?
Imagine that there was an Internet in 1967 and you had to erase the Apollo program.
Obama's NASA facelift faces tough fight in Congress, Spaceflightnow
"[Rep. Bill] Posey said he fears the plan represents a "slow death" of the space program."
Chairman Gordon Comments on President's Budget Request
"Turning to NASA, the space agency's budget request represents a radical departure from the bipartisan consensus achieved by Congress in successive authorizations over the past five years. This requires deliberate scrutiny. We will need to hear the Administration's rationale for such a change and assess its impact on U.S. leadership in space before Congress renders its judgment on the proposals."
Congresswoman Kosmas' Statement on Release of NASA Budget
"The cancellation of Orion is especially troubling and goes against the recommendations of the Augustine Commission. The State of Florida has made significant investments to prepare KSC facilities for Orion, and the Space Coast anticipated, invested in, and planned for the commitment to be fulfilled in order to help preserve jobs."
NASA Announces Tuesday News Teleconferences With Directorate Leaders
"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced the administration's fiscal year 2011 budget request Monday by calling for change and a new era of innovation in America's approach to science and space exploration. On Tuesday, Feb. 2, the associate administrators of the mission directorates will hold teleconferences to discuss the budget's impact on their specific areas."
"Through an open competition for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, NASA has awarded Space Act Agreements to Blue Origin of Kent, Wash.; The Boeing Company of Houston; Paragon Space Development Corporation of Tucson, Ariz.; Sierra Nevada Corporation of Louisville, Colo.; and United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colo. The agreements are for the development of crew concepts and technology demonstrations and investigations for future commercial support of human spaceflight."
While thinking about the news on the NASA budget today, I thought of the following story.
One time back in the 1960s, a NASA employee was roaming the halls of Kennedy Space Center. He came across a group of three janitors cleaning a restroom. Given his friendly nature, he stopped and approached the first one who seemed particularly dour.
“How’s it going?” he asked. In response, the first janitor growled “How do you think it is going? I’m stuck here cleaning toilets.”
Shocked, the employee decided to talk to the second janitor. This guy seemed a little more excited about what he was doing.
“Hey, what are you doing?” he asked. The second janitor looked at him with a spark of hope in his eye. “I’m feeding my family,” he said.
Intrigued, the employee decided to go say hi to the third janitor. This guy was humming and smiling while he was cleaning the restroom.
“Why are you so happy?” the employee asked. The third janitor replied with a grin “because I’m sending man to the moon!”
The message? The context is decisive. In our lives, we control how we react to and how we perceive the world.
The new NASA budget is likely to bring out lots of folks living from different contexts. Some of those will look like ”The Constellation Program shouldn’t be canceled” or “We are losing jobs in my state” or “We have no mission, no direction.”
I choose a different context: the new budget is an opportunity. An opportunity to transform our planet’s future in space. An opportunity to engage the global community on a journey of exploration.
That sounds like fun. What is your context?
- White House cancels NASA Constellation program; local impact unclear, Crain's Cleveland Business
- Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle promises "communitywide effort" to restore Ares I program, Huntsville Times
- NASA budget for 2011 eliminates funds for manned lunar missions, Washington post
- Obama budget would cut moon exploration program, CNN
- NASA budget cut would hit ATK, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal
- Report: NASA moon mission cut, Stennis impact unclear, WLOX
- Texas lawmakers balk at cutting manned spaceflight, Dallas Morning News
- Obama Kills NASA Moon Plan, Farms Out Space Ferry, Business Week
ATK Issues Response to GFY11 NASA Budget Proposal
"To abandon Ares I as a baseline vehicle for an alternative without demonstrated capability nor proven superiority (or even equivalence) is unwise and probably not cost-effective." In the weeks and months ahead we are hopeful that the Congress and Administration will work together to deliver a budget that supports a program that capitalizes on the investments the nation has made in the Constellation program, closes the gap in US capability to return to space, and best assures continued US leadership in space. We believe ATK will continue to play a significant role in America's future space exploration."
