Keith’s note: As you ponder protests, policies, and how everyone should respond, re-read this part of the Executive Order that erases NASA’s union rights. It redefines what NASA is – despite whatever wording is in its charter or innumerable authorization and appropriations over the years. It says that NASA is “hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work. It is also hereby determined that Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, cannot be applied to these agencies and agency subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.” No mention of that science and exploration stuff. Indeed, this pivots NASA closer to Space Force. And it is not to be unexpected that NASA employees may soon see their ability to speak out reigned in as it already is within the Defense and Intelligence agencies. Again, read the words. They are rather precise.
Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member... More by Keith Cowing
I don’t see how this is essentially different than the NRO. I believe that NASA will be subsumed under Space Force at some point before too long. It is clear that the new mission is earth facing with military focus. Any missions will be primarily supporting surveillance state objectives. And if the research labs choose not align with this new directive, then they will be out. I suspect JPL is going to be particularly hard hit in the next couple of years. I can’t imagine that Caltech will willingly choose research and projects aligning with the new stated objectives. But I guess we’ll see.
In three years, all this will be moot. Hopefully.
It won’t be Vance.