Neil Armstrong’s lasting legacy, Dan Goldin, Washington Post “This summer I witnessed the landing of Curiosity on Mars from mission control at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After the “seven minutes of terror” and Curiosity’s successful arrival, I knew that NASA still has the right stuff. NASA is filled with future Neil Armstrongs — outstanding rocket engineers, scientists and dreamers. I can think of no greater testimony to the entire […]

Every now and then Dan Goldin does something very right. Appointing Joe Rothenberg to be Associate Administrator of the Office of Space Flight (OSF) is one of those things. Rothenberg’s appointment OSF AA marks the beginning of a break with the Shuttle Era and the true beginning of the Space Station era. ISS design is all but finished. What little design remains is in the category of optimization, utilization, and […]

Lesson Two: It isn’t better-cheaper-faster just because you say it is. Better, cheaper , faster. That is what NASA is supposed to be doing on all of its programs. Dan, you’d think that the preeminent place to practice this approach is the International Space Station program – NASA’s largest single activity – and one which will span decades. You’d think this would be especially true inasmuch as the ISS program […]

Statement of Daniel S. Goldin Administrator National Aeronautics and Space Administration before the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Committee on Science House of Representatives March, 3, 1997 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee. Last spring I told this Subcommittee about the amazing year NASA had completed. I reported that NASA had requested that the Administration provide the Agency a stable budget submission for FY 1997 and that the Administration […]

Keith’s note: Rep. Sensenbrenner and his delegation made a scheduled factory visit to view Russian space station hardware today. Unbeknownst to Rep. Sensenbrenner, who had requested that there be no press in attendance, someone at the Krunichev Space Center had the bright idea of letting the press in such that they could get a picture of Rep. Sensenbrenner and his delegation as they admired the on-time, on-budget FGB module. Sensenbrenner […]

Keith’s note: On 31 January 1997 Dan had to cut short a trip to California to return to DC for a White House meeting. The topic was Russia and the Space Station in preparation for the Gore/Chernomyrdin talks. Between 5 and 6 February Gore and Chernomyrdin had their meetings. On 7 February Chernomyrdin vowed to VP Gore that he’d release $100M by 28 February to get things rolling again. Also […]

Mr. Daniel Goldin Administrator National Aeronautic and Space Administration Washington, DC 20546 A group of concerned African American employees deem it essential to respond to you memo dated December 30, 1996, “Valuing of NASA Personnel.” First, the memo is insulting to us beacuse it sates that , “NASA has a zero tolerance for bigotry, harassment, stereotyping, and discrimination based on nonmerit factors,” while all along African Americans are adversely impacted […]

Dear Mr. Goldin I am writing to offer some thoughts on your upcoming address to the 6th International Congress on Cell Biology in San Francisco next month. We anticipate a large audience of established investigators, both domestic and international, as well as thousands of graduate and postdoctoral trainees in cell and molecular biology. It may be helpful if I begin with some credentials so you can put my comments in […]

Minutes of Senior Staff and Center Director’s Meeting October 7, 1996 The following documents the discussions addressed at the Senior Staff and Center Director’s Meeting on October 7, 1996. Mr. Goldin was not in attendance. Action assignments have been placed in brackets [ ] for easy identification. 1. AA Reports S/Huntress: The X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE) spacecraft entered a 12-hour safehold this past weekend. The craft is back online, and […]

26 September 1996, Fox Morning News Lark McCarthy: Quickly tell us, what is NASA’s next major goal? What’s the next big thing you want to do? Dan Goldin: We want to figure out whether life is unique to planet Earth. And we’ve begun that process. We have ten spacecraft going to Mars in the next decade, and we’re going to figure out how people could live and work safely in […]