1997 and earlier
24 December 1997: Spacehab gets $62 mln in space contracts, Reuters, Yahoo
19 December 1997: Science Fiction-Like Exploits Of The Space Shuttle, USA press release, Yahoo
16 December 1997:
NASA officials criticize space report, UPI, Yahoo
16 December 1997:
Report: space debris threatens shuttle,UPI, Yahoo
16 December 1997:
Tiny deadly space debris seen as threat, Wired, Yahoo
16 December 1997:
Orbital Debris May Pose Significant Risk to the Space Shuttle, Press release, National Research Council
16 December 1997:
Protecting the Space Shuttle from Meteoroids and Orbital Debris, Committee on Space Shuttle Meteoroid/Debris Risk Management, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council
12 December 1997: Looks like John Glenn will be flying on a Space Shuttle mission.
Editor’s comment: The White House is involved – and, from what we have learned, this is all but a done deal. More details to follow. Once this is announced, you can expect NASA to hurriedly come up with some spur of the moment, after the fact “experiments” to justify flying an elderly former astronaut in space. Glenn’s exposure to space flight was so brief and so long ago as to make a scientific basis for this flight utterly meaningless. This is about politics and public relations – not science. Anyone at NASA – or Senator Glenn’s office – who attempts to put a scientific spin on the reason for this space junket is being less than truthful with the public.
Since this is all about politics, we urge Senator Glenn to use the obvious media exposure that will result from his flight to call for a reversal of the punitive budget cuts being inflicted upon NASA by the Clinton Administration. THAT would have some clear value to the agency.
Otherwise NASA, if you really want to study the effects of space flight on senior citizens, keep flying Story Musgrave until he’s old enough.
10 December 1997: Shuttle Contractor Wants Payloads to Pay Off, Washington Post
9 December 1997: Commerce Business Daily: Presolicitation Notice: DOD Shuttle/ISS Payload Support Contract, Space Test Program (STP) at Kirtland Air Force Base New Mexico
“The scope of the DoD Shuttle/ISS Payload includes operational engineering support for the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program (STP) Shuttle/ISS Payload Support Contract (DPSC). “
25 November 1997: Terms of Reference, Administrator’s Policy Review, Issues Associated with Policies, Plans, and Budget Commitments to Execute the Space Transportation Implementation Plan, online at the Code Z website.
1 October 1997: Space Shuttle: Upgrade Activities and Carryover Balances. T-NSIAD-98-21. 8 pp. plus 1 appendix (3 pp.) [.pdf format]
1 October 1997: prepared statement by Will Trafton, Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight, as he testifed before the House Science Committee regarding Space Shuttle safety.
The hearings covered the impact on safety of the recent transfer of funds away from the Shuttle program; the effects on Shuttle launch requirements resulting from the slippage of the Space Station assembly schedule; and the amount of uncosted carryovers and possible plans for its disposition.
Word has it that the Committee did a fair amount of testimony “read-back” to the NASA people testifying i.e. “well, in previous testimony, you made the following [contradictory] statement.”
Ouch. Don’t you hate it when they do that.
30 September 1997:Rick Stephens to Lead Boeing Bid to Consolidate NASA Space
Operations, press release, Yahoo
9 September 1997: United Space Alliance Names Lunney, DeCastro to Key Executive
Positions, Press release, Yahoo
20 July 1997: Has NASA Decided to Cancel the remaining Shuttle/Mir flights?
We have learned from KSC that word was passsed down recently from the top to plan on cancellation of the 4 remaining Shuttle/Mir flights. KSC folks were told to start planning for what they were going
to do when the flight rate dropped to 2 and 4 flights/year for a couple of years. Apparently, this rather low flight rate being projected is due to NASA’s lack of payloads which could be ready in time to fly. In the meantime, when not flying shuttles, KSC personnel will apparently dedicate their time towards continual improvement projects, cost reduction projects, etc.
22 May 1997: Threat to NASA funding a factor in Weldon’s `no’ vote on budget, By Larry Wheeler, Florida Today.
19 May 1997: Boeing Press Release: Boeing To Study Consolidation of NASA Space Operations
19 May 1997: Boeing Co awarded NASA contract, Reuters, Yahoo
16 May 1997: Despite Objections, NASA Headquarters Moves Forward With Plan to Cut Shuttle Program, News release from U.S. Congressman Dave Weldon, online at Florida Today
15 May 1997: United Space Alliance to trim KSC workforce, By Robyn Suriano, Florida Today
14 May 1997: Novel work incentives at USA
NASA Watch has learned that USA (United Space Alliance) is finally waking up to the hemorrhage of people leaving the ranks in training and flight control. There is now a new incentive plan in place- it is called a “Retention Bonus”. Employees remaining within those groups at USA with the highest attrition rates get supplemental checks every month – presumably to entice them to stay onboard.
On the surface, this would seem to be an effective mechanism to make people hang around.
Think about this for a moment. It is also rewarding bad management.
7 May 1997:Hey, who’s that looking over STS-2 astronaut Joe Engle’s shoulder as he shaves? Its George Abbey! [NASA Photo ID: S81-39573]
29 April 1997: Israel selects astronaut for US shuttle, UPI, at Yahoo
29 April 1997: Honeycutt takes Lockheed job in Houston, By Todd Halvorson
Florida Today
24 April 1997: Boeing Will Bid on NASA Project (CSOC), AP, Washington Post
Consolidated Space Operations Contract Information
21 April 1997: Defense Department might use NASA’s shuttle for launches, again, By Todd Halvorson, online at Florida Today
19 April 1997: Hey Boeing: who’s on Mir right now?
According to their ISS website : “To date, the Space Shuttle has flown four times to Mir — one rendezvous mission and three docking flights. Astronaut Shannon Lucid currently is living and working aboard Mir. “
Nope. Wrong answer. Care to try again?
18 April 1997: Columbia gets July re-flight, other missions move back, by Todd Halvorson Florida Today
17 April 1997: NASA Will Re-Try Failed Mission, Associated Press, online at the Washington Post
17 April 1997: [Press Release] NASA and Air Force Space Command Announce Cooperative Efforts
13 April 1997:More new Spacelab missions?
We have also learned that three new Spacelab missions are being planned for serious consideration during the 8 month slip in ISS assembly:
MSL-2 in 1999
Neurolab-2 in 1999.
MC-2 in 1999
30 September 1996: NASA and USA press releases regarding the signing of the Space Flight Operations Contract (SFOC).
26 March 1996: [NSIAD-96-73] Space Shuttle: Need to Sustain Launch Risk Assessment Process
Improvements TEXT
13 March 1997:NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel 1996 Annual Report
28 February 1997: Space Operations management Plan, TA/Space Operations Management Office, NASA JSC
30 November 1995:Rep. Weldon (R-FL) Questions Goldin About NASA’s Plan to Consolidate Shuttle Program. Weldon hears that “safety and schedule” drove the selection of United Space Alliance
7 November 1995: NASA to Pursue Non-competitive Shuttle Contract with U.S. Alliance NASA Press Release
22 September 1995: NASA Receives over 40 Responses of Interest from Industry for Shuttle Program Retructure Effort NASA Press Release
The Lower Tiers of the Space Transportation Industrial Base (August 1995)
August 1995: The Lower Tiers of the Space Transportation Industrial Base, Office of Technology Assessment
28 July 1995: [NSIAD-95-171] Space Shuttle: Declining Budget and Tight Schedule Could Jeopardize Space
Station Support
, TEXT
15 June 1995: [NSIAD-95-118] Space Shuttle: NASA Must Reduce Costs Further to Operate Within Future Projected Funds
, TEXT
May 1995: The National Space Transportation Policy: Issues for Congress, Office of Technology Assessment
15 March 1995: Shuttle Management Team Issues Final Report NASA Press Release
15 March 1995: The Kraft Report On Space Shuttle Operations
2 February 1995: Red Team Report
30 November 1995:Rep. Weldon (R-FL) Questions Goldin About NASA’s Plan to Consolidate Shuttle Program. Weldon hears that “safety and schedule” drove the selection of United Space Alliance
9 December 1994: GAO Report: Overhead Costs: Unallowable Costs Charged by Rockwell Corporation,
Rocketdyne Division (Letter Report, 12/09/94, GAO/NSIAD-95-41).
7 November 1995: NASA to Pursue Non-competitive Shuttle Contract with U.S. Alliance NASA Press Release
22 September 1995: NASA Receives over 40 Responses of Interest from Industry for Shuttle Program Retructure Effort NASA Press Release
21 July 1994: GAO Report: Space Shuttle: NASA’s Plans for Repairing or Replacing a Damaged or
Destroyed Orbiter (Letter Report, 07/21/94, GAO/NSIAD-94-197).
26 May 1994: GAO Report: Space Shuttle: Incomplete Data and Funding Approach Increase Cost Risk
for Upgrade Program (Letter Report, 05/26/94, GAO/NSIAD-94-23).
8 June 1992: Shuttle Management Reogranization Announced
28 April 1992:NASA Administrator Announces Headquarters Appoinments ( Pearson replaces Lenoir as Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight; O’Connor to become Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight for Programs.
30 March 1992: Lenoir Announces Plans to Leave NASA
Access to Space: The Future of U.S. Space Transportation Systems (April 1990), Office of Technology Assessment
Affordable Spacecraft: Design and Launch Alternatives (January 1990), Office of Technology Assessment
