This is not NASA’s confusion, well not only. This is a WH/NASA/Congress/Public confusion. This has been going on for ever, not just now. It is a little more apparent today as 2 programs (Shuttle AND Constellation) face major challenges. People in general still refuse to accept whatever budget they have and to live WITHIN their means. Reminds you of something recent? Until then well you know… What is permanent again?

“NASA is appreciative of full funding in FY 2009 for the Exploration Systems program. The
Constellation Program continues to complete the formulation phase of its projects – in particular Ares I,
Orion, and major ground facilities. Major development work is underway, contracts are in place; and we
have a dedicated group of civil servants and contractors who are all working hard to accomplish the
Constellation Program’s objectives. So far, NASA engineers have conducted about 6,500 hours of wind
tunnel testing on subscale models of the Ares I to simulate how the current vehicle design performs in
flight. These wind tunnel tests, as well as the Ares I-X test flight, will lay the groundwork for maturing
the Ares I final design prior to its Critical Design Review (CDR). When launched later this year from
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Ares I-X will climb about 25 miles in a two-minute
powered test of the First Stage performance and the First Stage separation and parachute recovery system.
Work on the Orion Project also continues to advance. Recently, NASA conducted testing of the water
recovery process for the Orion capsule, and NASA also selected the material for Orion’s heat shield.
Later this year, Orion’s PA-1 test will take place at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. PA-1 will
demonstrate the Launch Abort System’s ability to pull crew to safety should there be an emergency while
the Orion and Ares I stack is still on the launch pad. “

I believe we are essentially in agreement. I was merely trying to show there is a difference between acting and appointed as you just did too.

Dear Common Sense,

I have no reason to disagree with Alan Ladwig that Scolese is doing a fine job as the ACTING administrator. If Alan says Scolese is doing fine, I trust him.

I also agree that the requirements for ACTING administrator job, and the appointed Administrator are totally different.

The appointed Administrator needs to be somebody that is EXTERNALLY focused, on the needs and requirements (and thinking) of the President and Congress. As a general rule, career NASA engineers (even really good ones) do not have the knowledge, experience, skills, mind set, and desire to do the “external focused job” well.

Griffin was right when he said that James Webb was NASA’s greatest administrator. We need another James Webb-like person.

FWIW,

– TANSTAAFL

Alan Ladwig told us (http://www.spacepolitics.com/2009/04/24/does-nasa-need-a-new-administrator-yes-but/) that Scolese is doing a great job. Now as an ACTING administrator. His job is to keep everything going smoothly as they look for someone, it looks like. And Ladwig said he is doing fine. Ladwig is not his boss, as apparently he is a “special asistant” to the administrator (!) BUT he seems to be pretty close to the WH (?).

So if the WH says Scolese is doing a fine job then great. But a fine job as an ACTING administrator does not mean Scolese would be doing a great job as an appointed administrator. I am sure the requirements for the job are totally different. Had Griffin be more tactful he’d probably be still running NASA (see Golding for example). That’s life.

Griffin was honest too. I believe Griffin believed what he said. (Some faulted him for being too honest.) Griffin was just wrong (very wrong) on a few key issues.

Next, an “Acting” Administrator is not going to foist a multi-billion-dollar project — of any kind — on us. That is not his role. What Scolese has done for the last 3 months is not a good predictor of what he would do if he became Administrator.

Therefore, the one specific discriminator you can give Scolese credit for is “not being condescending.”

Fine. That is a good personal trait.

But that is not sufficient to say “he is doing a really good job as Administrator” in my book.

My challenge to Sheridan still stands — WHAT has Scolese specifically done to justify giving him a grade of “a really good job”?

When your boss gives you a performance review, she does not just say “you did a really good job” — she tells you the specific results or actions your produced that justify the grade.

FWIW,

– TANSTAAFL

After Griffin, my standards for NASA admins are pretty low, so I’m going to have to agree with Sheridan that Scolese appears to be doing at least a tolerably good job. I’m not expecting miracles, but simply being honest, non-condescending, and not trying to foist ego-driven multi-billion dollar Moondoggle architectures on the rest of us seems good enough.

~Jon