Jeff Hanley Dumps on Augustine

Report: NASA manager calls Augustine panel dishonest and wrong
“According to the newspaper’s report, Constellation Program manager Jeff Hanley told Houston’s Johnson Space Center Director Michael Coats in a 3,376-word e-mail that the panel — headed by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine — ignored “anything positive” about Constellation while making exaggerated claims about alternative systems. “We are betting the farm on severe speculation,” Hanley was quoted as telling Coats, a veteran shuttle pilot and mission commander. The e-mail was leaked a day ahead of the Augustine Committee’s final public hearing via teleconference today at 1 p.m. EDT and should add more fire to the debate about the future of NASA’s human space exploration plans. The committee’s final report is expected before the end of the month. The White House is believed to favor major changes in Constellation – including possibly canceling its Ares I rocket — while several members of Congress say they will oppose any change.”