CASIS Is Still Broken And No One Really Cares
GAO: International Space Station: Opportunities Exist to Improve Communication with National Laboratory Users
“CASIS officials have not obtained input from the advisory committee on how to allocate laboratory resources, even though the committee is chartered to advise CASIS on resource utilization. CASIS officials stated they have not obtained this input for several reasons, including that the committee is unlikely to provide a consensus perspective. However, a lack of consensus does not preclude communication. Diverse input could enhance CASIS’s understanding of risks and opportunities across the laboratory portfolio.
Additionally, CASIS has not routinely provided the advisory committee information about past and planned resource allocations, including visibility into the flight queue for projects waiting to travel to the International Space Station. The chairs of the advisory committee and its five subcommittees told GAO they could more effectively advise CASIS if they had more information about past resource allocations. These members also stated that greater transparency into planned allocations would be valuable for users conducting time-sensitive research–such as biological science research involving cell and tissue samples. CASIS officials said they have not routinely provided the committee this information because the resource allocation process is complex and fluid. However, NASA and CASIS officials acknowledged laboratory users would benefit from improved visibility into the resource allocation process.”
Keith’s note: I spent a lot of time looking into CASIS as you may recall. After more than a decade it is still broken. NASA never wanted it and only pays attention to CASIS when Congress or NASA HQ or GAO points out glaring issues. This time CASIS openly admits that it really does not care what its own advisory panel does. Then they all write a report, reshuffle management – and eject the good employees, and then this all disappears back into the NASA mis-managerial mist again. CASIS is located in Florida so NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL Ret.) is not going to be too tough on them. The $15 million CASIS gets from NASA every year is mandated by Congress – no matter how good or bad they do their job. That is unlikely to change any time soon. The space station could be so much more than it is – if NASA cared enough about it, that is.
I can think of any number of good folks from just about every NASA Center who’d love to make the remaining years of station utilization meaningful, and even relish a 1-2 year term appt in leadership.
Now excuse me while I go tend to my contractors charge number… 😉
They’re just moving to privatization anyways down the line, so I guess there’s not much incentive to fix it.
I think ISS’s time is now perceived as being past. The big focus a few years ago was on finding new payloads and payload customers. I don’t think its such a big priority anymore. Even within ISS there seems undue focus now on 2030 and the end of the ISS. A lot of people are now excited about the upcoming Moon era. I think they believe that with Elon in the driver’s seat it might really happen.
Axiom says they are ready to build a new space station. I don’t believe it will happen. Who will the paying customers be? ISS and CASIS are out there and few paying customers with real uses have come forward-mainly they are just looking to capitalize on NASA, the space program and advertising. Axiom might be better off building a space hotel-maybe if Elon can further reduce travel costs there might be enough customers. It could be the first orbital ‘cruise ship’.
So what happens to these commercial stations when SpaceX decides to launch a 1,000 cubic meter Starship Lab every quarter like they do the Transporter missions?