Review panel members blast NASA management ....

[askold]

"Seven members of an independent review panel today blasted NASA's management of the post-Columbia shuttle program, blaming poor leadership for ongoing, pervasive "cultural" problems and an erosion of engineering rigor that raise questions about the agency's willingness to fly without a thorough understanding of the risks involved.<br /><br />In an "annex" at the end of the final report of the Return to Flight Task Group, led by former Apollo astronaut Thomas Stafford and former shuttle commander Richard Covey, seven of the 26 panel members wrote a scathing set of personal observations detailing "persistent cultural symptoms we observed throughout the assessment process." "<br /><br />etc. http://cbsnews.cbs.com/network/news/space/recent.html<br /><br />Yikes.<br /><br />".... concluded NASA had failed to fully implement the three most critical recommendations: to eliminate all foam insulation debris from the external fuel tank; to "harden" the shuttle's heat-shield system to resist any impacts that do occur; and to develop reliable tile and wing leading edge repair techniques."<br /><br />Does this mean that NASA is going to start over again - just like after the Columbia disaster? When will the next shuttle fly??<br /><br />

 

[frodo1008]

They are going to fly to the relative safe harbor of the ISS. Why would they start over again? <br /><br />The only thing that I can fault NASA with at this time IS being far to timid, and gun-shy. They need to get on with it, and finish the ISS to where we told our partners that we would finish. Then the shuttle needs to be retired, and the next system put in place! Then we go back to the moon to stay and work, and eventually on to Mars. It IS really that simple! Why complicate it with a lot of negativity! Space is not risk free even to the robotic efforts, much less the harder human efforts. Heck, just driving your car is not safe, should you then just stay in your apartment or home? I think not!