Comments on: That other space-related hearing today http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/09/06/that-other-space-related-hearing-today/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=that-other-space-related-hearing-today Because sometimes the most important orbit is the Beltway... Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:35:41 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.38 By: anonymous.space http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/09/06/that-other-space-related-hearing-today/#comment-22234 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:50:08 +0000 http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/09/06/that-other-space-related-hearing-today/#comment-22234 On the subject of astronaut health care, I read the opening statements of the Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member, as well as the statment of the chair of the external astronaut health review committee. They all made an important point, one that’s gotten lost in all the publicity about the boozing allegations. The point is that the very experts responsible for seeing after the health of the astronauts do not feel safe coming forward with negative observations (boozing or otherwise) within their own NASA management chain — these concerns only to the attention of NASA management thanks to an external committee that sat outside NASA. Folks apparently don’t even feel comfortable reporting such negative observations to NASA’s anonymous safety reporting system. Even more than that, these statements all made the point that the reaction of senior NASA management to the boozing allegations (i.e., “that could never happen”) actually worsened the climate for reporting such concerns.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but I find it really disturbing that, a few years after Columbia, itself a repeat of Challenger in terms of underlying cultural problems at NASA, that there are still segments of the human space flight workforce charged with safety functions that do not feel comfortable immediately coming forward when they observe something unsafe that could dramatically impact flight and crew safety. Even worse, I find it especially worrisome that NASA senior management is still fuelling the problem by playing down or disbelieving such observations when they finally do come forward

Sigh… when will we learn?

]]> By: CynicalStudent http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/09/06/that-other-space-related-hearing-today/#comment-22035 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:40:49 +0000 http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/09/06/that-other-space-related-hearing-today/#comment-22035 i thought law enforcement already had access to domestic satellite surveillance. dont see how big of deal that is, considering warrantless electronic surveillance is already tolerated (unconstitutionally of course). what can satellite imagery show that helicopter or planes cannot? unless they got some top-secret satellites out that can see through roofs and spot my grow chamber!

if i were an astronaught riding aboar the space shuttle, i dont know if i could climb into that heap without a few shots. damn near every mission there is an issue with foam-related wing or tile damage. as long as the pilot and mission commander are sober, who gives a damn?

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