Time For A Pause
Keith’s note: In my earlier rant I mentioned the crap that I have been going through which certainly pales in comparison to what NASA and contractor employees have to endure as their dream jobs are stripped away for no reason other than to meet a body count quota. I am pretty good at running interference for all of you who have helped me amass what nonsense is going so as to be able to tell everyone who is affected directly or indirectly without jeopardizing your job. But a thin red line passed today. My bullshit meter pegged at saturation. It’s time to step back. More below.
September is going to be awful as further RIFs and reorganizations and reassignments all collide inelastically as they are ruthlessly enforced per the FY 2026 PBR by Bryan Hughes and his drive-by interim acting administrator secretary Duffy. Things in DC are simply getting more militaristic and inspire fear. I’ll be watching from afar but I will jump in to help NASA and its family when something important needs to get out. But otherwise I need to pull back.
I will be 70 in October and this same website has been operating for half my life and nearly my entire marriage. Mrs. NASAWatch needs a belay buddy for rock climbing and a partner for hiking and camping. And I have two books to write while I still have my faculties. I am not done with NASA. No one ever is. But the utter disrespect inflicted in a punitive fashion on this most amazing group of people is uncalled for. It’s hard to press ahead when your management treats you like cattle or sheep. These NASA people have done more than all of the world’s space programs combined.
But now there is a growing diaspora developing as the NASA family scatters. Years from now, wh:en the darkness lifts, many will feel the urge to come back and move ahead. And they will bring an influx of new ideas and enthusiasm back in to refill NASA’s ranks. But right now the die has been cast. NASA is being chopped up for scrap. Just be ready to re-enlist once this nightmare is over. Ad Astra y’all.
14 responses to “Time For A Pause”
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Thank you for what you have done and do, Keith, in support of the NASA family!
Belay on!
We are grateful to you for keeping us informed at a time when the titled ones have not. Thank you for your leadership.
“Ad astra per aspera.” We all grateful for your service
September likely to be a downward spirral and rumors from Duffy’s camp allude to Center Leadership changes, starting at Goddard and ARC. DOGE inspected ARC JET and Wind Tunnels three weeks ago with Center leadership and weren’t impressed by facilities or aeronautics/
How can you be impressed with something you know nothing about?
In all fairness, I wasn’t impressed with DOGE’s ability to understand contracts or do basic bookkeeping. Their claimed “savings” were quite creative. But I’m just a rocket scientist and certified COR, so what do I know…
Let me guess, the DOGE kids say you can just simulate the aerodynamics with AI now?
That’s odd… what does DOGE know about aerospace engineering capabilities? Maybe the computational resources available, but hey easy solution, give them more money.
There are lots of alarmist rumors circulating… few are likely to come true, although they do cause trouble.
If I get RIF’d, I volunteer as Keith’s bodyguard. He is a treasure who must be protected at all costs
Thank you Keith for all you have been able to do. I know it feels like never enough, but it is far more than most. Ad astra.
ad astra suffragio- Remember this at the mid term elections next year.
Thank you for what you’ve done – I’ve wept while reading these.
I’m a 38 yo American, high-school dropout (violence and poverty) – also an ex-Google engineer (Cloud/Compute Engine) – it was a hell of a journey to bridge that gap.
Sagan first showed me the pale blue dot and taught me how to see this universe with joy, wonder, humility. NASA and those who worked with and contributed to it instilled a lifelong love of science, mathematics, and the human quest for truth and understanding of our place in the cosmos.
None of us ever get to truly know the full extent of the effects our words and actions have on the universe around us, but know that the work that you and your colleagues did – and the dreams that they inspired – probably indirectly saved my life, many years ago.
Ty 💜
Thanks Ty. I have to tell you – and all of the folks who have contacted me one way or another – just as I think this is all a waste of my time, I get heartfelt notes like this. While I do need to take a pause and go on rinse cycle in the woods, I will have dark skies and bright stars shining down on me urging me to pull out my keyboard again. Thanks for the sanity check. Ad Astra – Keith
Thank you Keith for the work you have done and filling in the missing info of NASA activities the general public deserves to know. I hope more rock climbing and hiking with your wife will provide good therapy. Looking forward to see your new books.
It would be interesting if someone could ask the administrator (current/past) or an AA what the impact of NASAWATCH has been to NASA culture. If they answer honestly I believe the comments would be positive.