Sloppy NASA History Timeline

Reader note: “Your comment about NASA history being inaccurate was timely. Just last night I was frustrated by a sloppy NASA history timeline.”

Check out: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Defining-chron.htm

Example of errors and poor choice of wording include:

1. Listing the GALEX launch date as both 28 April 2003 and 1 Jan 2001;

2. Only listing the launch date for STS-61 not the duration of the mission as was done on the other Shuttle missions

3. Listing Feb 2002 as the date Mars Odyssey successfully achieved orbit around Mars while it actually achieved orbit on October 21, 2001, made the last manuevuer to end the Aerobraking phase which placed it in the mapping orbit on Jan 28, 2002 and began mapping in Feb 2002.

Independent of the errors I think you will agree that it is one the oddest selections of “Defining Events.” In earth sciences, the launch of CHIPS and ICESAT was a milestone, while the launches of the TRMM, Aqua and Aura satellites are not worth a mention. I won’t bore you with my list of pet peeves… I will leave it to you to find your favorite examples of odd choices. Finally, it has not been updated in two years.

Another Reader note: “Keith– You have the golden touch getting NASA websites fixed. Notice how the “chronology” page at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Defining-chron.htm states that it was last updated [tomorrow] October 26? Tomorrow’s news today! It’s like the old Stalin-era joke: “We know the future…it’s the past we’re not sure about.”