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The Purge Has Begun: Massive Reorganization Underway at NASA

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
June 7, 2005

Editor’s note: More than 50 letters have either been sent out or are being sent out notifying individuals of pending reassignments Changes will occur across all of the agency’s activities – except human space flight – those changes come later.

Editor’s earlier note: Some senior managers at NASA HQ and elsewhere are expecting to receive official notices on/around 12/13 June. These notices are the ones that employees are entitled to get before they can be transferred involuntarily. These notices can be sent out 60 days after a new Agency head takes over. The actual job changes have to wait until 120 days have passed. Mike Griffin is expected to make a large number of senior management changes as soon as he is able to do so legally. Any substantial changes to human spaceflight management would only be made after both the STS-114 and STS-121 missions have been completed. Griffin’s internal 60 day study on how to reorient NASA’s exploration plans is due to be completed by the beginning of July. As such, it is exected that the first major management changes will be at ESMD – starting at NASA HQ.

Editor’s 21 May update: According to knowledgeable sources, NASA HQ management may be sending out the swearing in-plus 60 day notices that employees are entitled to get before they can be transferred – involuntarily. Apparently the 9th floor will not even wait for the 120 day point to start to make changes. More to follow.

Editor’s note: The countdown clock for the 120 day moratorium on involuntary reassignments [regulations] of SES career appointees started on 14 April 2005, with Mike Griffin’s swearing in, and expires on 12 August 2005.

Editor’s update: A variety of NASA and industry sources report that Mike Griffin does not have the utmost confidence in the senior management team he inherited from Sean O’Keefe and that he is considering substantial changes – as soon as he can make them (i.e. T+120 days on the job). One should expect to see most – if not all – AA’s and their immediate assistants replaced at HQ. It is also likely that many center directors and managers of large programs will be replaced as well. Griffin is poised to make these changes based on his ability to do so rather than milestones the agency (and the affected personnel) are working toward – including STS-114 and STS-121. Stay tuned.

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.