NASA OIG Review of Constellation Program Manager Jeffrey Hanley’s Reassignment “The OIG found that Hanley’s reassignment was a management decision made by Douglas Cooke, Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems, with the concurrence of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, and was taken in response to actions by Hanley that led senior NASA leadership to believe he could no longer effectively lead Constellation during a period when the President was seeking to cancel […]

Hutchison: NASA Leadership Skirting the Law to Shut Down Space Programs “Senator Hutchison today received a letter from NASA Administrator Bolden outlining the decision and NASA’s justification. She noted that it further underscores the extent to which NASA has taken aggressive steps to move in a different direction without providing ample explanation or justification to Congress. The letter from Administrator Bolden contains language discussing the new “principles” to guide spending […]

Internal NASA email from Jeff Hanley “I’ve been advised by HQ that my services as Cx PM are no longer required, effective immediately. Dale Thomas will be Acting PM until something more formal is issued from ESMD.” Shelby says NASA trying to ‘suppress’ Constellation supporters in ranks, Huntsville Times “Shelby has grown increasingly frustrated with what he and other lawmakers believe is an attempt by NASA brass to kill Constellation […]

Busy Schedule for Rocket Obama Wants Scrapped, NY Times “Last month, in a speech at the Kennedy Space Center, President Obama modified his proposal, originally unveiled in February, and called for continuing the development of the Orion crew capsule that was to ride on top of the Ares I, but only as a stripped-down lifeboat for the International Space Station. The Ares program would still be canceled. Jeffrey M. Hanley, […]

Charlie Bolden’s stand on NASA, Constellation and Ares I tests, Orlando Sentinel “Bolden: Who? Jeff Hanley? I talk to Jeff quite a bit. As far as I am concerned, Jeff does exactly what I asked him to do, to be quite honest. And Jeff and NASA, we are in a tough situation in that we have to comply with the 2010 provision in law that says we cannot terminate [Constellation], […]

NASA program: Ares I backers work to save rocket despite White House wishes, Orlando Sentinel “The day after President Obama visited Kennedy Space Center last week to unveil his new vision for NASA, the manager of the moon program that Obama wants to kill told his team to draw up plans in case Obama fails to win congressional support. In an e-mail sent April 16, NASA’s Constellation program manager, Jeff […]

First flights of NASA’s Ares rocket: less safe than space shuttle?, Orlando Sentinel “In an e-mail to the Orlando Sentinel, Jeff Hanley, manager of the Constellation Program that includes Ares I and Orion, said that in the four years since the ESAS was first conducted, there have been advances in engineering risk assessments and that supercomputer analyses say that the ultimate risk of losing a crew aboard Ares I would […]

Internal NASA Email from Constellation manager Jeff Hanley to JSC Center Director Mike Coats “Page 12 “In the Ares I plus Ares V system planned by Constellation, the Ares I launches the Orion and docks in LEO with the Altair lander launched on the Ares V. This is the system planned by the Constellation Program. It has the advantage of projected very high ascent crew safety, but delays the development […]

Report: NASA manager calls Augustine panel dishonest and wrong “According to the newspaper’s report, Constellation Program manager Jeff Hanley told Houston’s Johnson Space Center Director Michael Coats in a 3,376-word e-mail that the panel — headed by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine — ignored “anything positive” about Constellation while making exaggerated claims about alternative systems. “We are betting the farm on severe speculation,” Hanley was quoted as telling Coats, […]