Team Biden At NASA Calmly Expands
NASA Names Leaders to Key Agency Roles
“NASA has named appointees for senior agency positions. Bhavya Lal joins the agency as acting chief of staff, Phillip Thompson will serve as White House liaison, Alicia Brown will serve as associate administrator for the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Marc Etkind will serve as associate administrator for the agency’s Office of Communications. In addition, Jackie McGuinness will join the agency as press secretary and Reagan Hunter will serve as special assistant for the agency’s Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs.”
Keith’s note: What a difference 4 years, an election, and a pandemic can make. When the Trump “beachead team” descended upon NASA, they began to act more like a boarding party from a pirate ship. They squabbled amongst themselves almost immediately. Some of them had no expertise in space. All too soon job titles shifted like “Musical Chairs” as they jockeyed for power. I can recall going to a NAC meeting where a seat was reserved for the “Chief of Staff” and no one knew who that person’s name was since it had shifted several times. Soon it was like “Hunger Games” with one after another of the Trump folks were ejected from NASA – by the other Trump folks. Several of them liked to go around Washington to meetings, barking orders at the space community along the lines of “there’s a new team in town”. Indeed.
Eventually, at least two of them were escorted out of NASA HQ by security after being told to clean out their desks. The ejected ones went to other agencies and roles where they caused new sorts of problems. They were mostly gone when Jim Bridenstine arrived. But their impact was long lasting and left a bad taste in people’s mouths.
Contrast this with the people that are showing up from the Biden White House. They do so virtually with most (if not all) not even badged into the building yet. They have all either had their jobs before somewhere else or have skillsets that are matched to their new roles at NASA – and they hit the ground running – as a team. I for one welcome the … calmer, more professional Biden management team to NASA.
Good to know that Biden is installing quality people at NASA.
Now, what about the FAA? They’ve been messing with SpaceX down at Boca-Chica Texas. You might look into that.
I believe it is a safety issue. That is what the FAA is tasked to look after: public safety.
Anyway, the issue’s evidently been corrected, despite Musk’s bellyaching about the inconvenience of following the rules; they fly tomorrow.
Or later this week. My impression is that it isn’t _exactly_ a public safety issue. It’s about how SpaceX shows that it isn’t, in their application to the FAA. For something like experimental aircraft flights, or previously slow pace for rocket tests, the FAA has set processes, requirements and standards for approval. But SpaceX is doing all sorts of new things in Boca Chica. Like replacing major parts of their SN9 Starship prototype just weeks before the flight. My suspicion is that the FAA is struggling to figure out how the past policies, rules, etc. apply, and what paperwork to license a test launch is required. And SpaceX is struggling with how to satisfy those requirements. If I’m correct about that, it would be no surprise that there was few day mixups over the paperwork. I think Mr. Musk is correct to say the process is flawed and needs to evolve and be adapted to SpaceX new ways doing things. But he’s also being a bit impatient over how long those changes take.
cool professionalism, as compared to “reality tv” game theory ?
It is a great relief to see actually qualified professionals given authority instead of interns, conspiracy theorists, and hacks.