Well, well, well, Al. Looks like Bolden went in there exactly as I predicted and demanded his own direct reports.

Again, this isn’t a “job interview” for people at this level.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-11323.pdf and
http://www.ostp.gov/galleries/press_release_files/NASA%20Review.pdf

The independence of that panel is part of their charter, and the panel is charged with “working closely with NASA”. I would gather that Norm Augustine has responsibility for ensuring that independence.

This isn’t a review of the agency. It’s a review of U.S. human space flight policy.

It is of some interest that the Aldridge Panel was set up by Presidential Directive. This panel is not. Though the Aldridge panel was charged with fleshing out a vision for exploration, while this panel is just charged with assessing options for a piece of that vision.

According to the Notice of Establishment of a NASA Advisory Committee as published at http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=31271

“Explanation of Need: The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has determined that the establishment of a Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee is necessary and in the public interest in connection with duties imposed upon NASA by law. This determination follows consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services
Administration.

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”

This would seem to indicate that the sponsoring agency is NASA and not OSTP and that is very troubling indeed.

That’s kinda the message I took away: When the White House is truly in control of a panel’s set up, they wait until they have all the panel members decided – and then announce it publicly. Here, only the head and executive secretaries were announced. That tells me the WH is not focusing on controlling the rest of the panel for whatever their definition of ‘balance’ would be, meaning Augustine is more in of control of the Panel than he might have been in the past.

Would that be/is that a good thing? I’m not comfortable, either way. Augustine does not necessarily have a good past in looking at things holistically, nor does he have a reformist mind-bent. (This is the guy who really kicked off the consolidation – meaning, de-competitivization – of the American aerospace industry). I also disagree with his statements in the past that science was the most important thing in deciding what to do with space.

However…. the Obama WH is not the best place to pick, either. Our new OSTP head is as qualified as anyone for that extremely broad position; particularly when realizing in that the environment and climate change needs to a real focus of science and technology issues going forward. But on space issues, he doesn’t seem to have the same nuanced understandings about NASA and its issues, including needed NASA internal reforms; about space competitiveness, space development, etc. that would be needed to oversee intelligent picks in 2009; and, to my knowledge, he has no advisors on staff who do.

OSTP would do well to up the depth and breadth of its staff on space issues; but, to date, I see no evidence of that happening. Unfortunately.