Shock NASA Resignation

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA’s chief of human spaceflight resigns on cusp of critical crew launch

Quote

The head of NASA’s human spaceflight programs has abruptly resigned, announcing his departure from the space agency two days before before he was to chair a crucial readiness review ahead of the launch of the first crewed U.S. space mission in nearly a decade.

Doug Loverro joined NASA in December after decades managing military space programs, and his tenure at NASA lasted just six months. He replaced Bill Gerstenmaier, who was removed from his post by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine last July in a shakeup of the space agency’s human spaceflight efforts.

  Read More: Spaceflight Now

 

[Grim Reaper 6]

34 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

NASA’s chief of human spaceflight resigns on cusp of critical crew launch

 

I personally applaud his for standing up for his principles, far too few people do this in this day and age. Maybe, just maybe due to this the problems he felt compelled to resign over might be at least looked at more closely, and maybe even corrected.

Peace

[Waspie_Dwarf]

1 minute ago, Manwon Lender said:

I personally applaud his for standing up for his principles, far too few people do this in this day and age. Maybe, just maybe due to this the problems he felt compelled to resign over might be at least looked at more closely, and maybe even corrected.

Peace

Apparently he didn't resign of his own choice, he was asked to resign. It wasn't a matter of standing up for his principles either, he broke procurement rules and was caught.

[Grim Reaper 6]

1 minute ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

Apparently he didn't resign of his own choice, he was asked to resign. It wasn't a matter of standing up for his principles either, he broke procurement rules and was caught.

Now that sucks, however, at least in the article he did admit his mistake, which is no something everyone would, most would just refuse to answer questions.

Thanks for the correction.

Peace

[Tatetopa]

21 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

Apparently he didn't resign of his own choice, he was asked to resign. It wasn't a matter of standing up for his principles either, he broke procurement rules and was caught.

Oh, well then, pardon in the future for him.  The Space Force needs enterprising types that don't think much of rules or policies.  I am not even sure I am kidding.

[+and-then]

2 hours ago, Tatetopa said:

Oh, well then, pardon in the future for him.  The Space Force needs enterprising types that don't think much of rules or policies.  I am not even sure I am kidding.

It's reassuring to see you're keeping an unbiased outlook.  

[Tatetopa]

11 hours ago, and then said:

It's reassuring to see you're keeping an unbiased outlook.

Trying, but it is hard to keep my sarcasm under control sometimes.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Here’s why NASA’s chief of human spaceflight resigned—and why it matters

Loverro was ardently trying to fulfill his 2024 Moon landing mandate.

Quote

On Tuesday, NASA announced that its chief of human spaceflight, Doug Loverro, had resigned after just six months of working at the space agency. This news, coming just eight days before NASA's first launch of humans in nine years, has rocked the civil aerospace community and kicked up a flurry of rumors.

This post will attempt to assess what we know, and what we don't know, about his departure and what it means for the space agency's human spaceflight programs moving forward.

  Read More: Ars Technica

 

[Jon the frog]

Sad that's a bit messy for NASA to have a story like that... glad he's not there anymore if it's true.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

2 hours ago, Jon the frog said:

Sad that's a bit messy for NASA to have a story like that... glad he's not there anymore if it's true.

It doesn't seem that he was corrupt. His breaking of the rules wasn't becausehe was on the take.

He had been given an almost impossible job. NASA is expected to be landing humans on the Moon again by 2024. A human rated lander has to be designed, built, tested and be operational in 4½ years, all without a massive hike in NASA's budget. NASA was working towards a 2028 landing when the administration shaved 4 years off that goal.

His predecessor was removed because he was perceivedto be acting too slowly. Loverro was under pressure to achieve. He was brought in to this role specifically to act quickly. It seems that in trying to achieve the near impossible he broke the rules.

All this was going on whilst he was also in charge of the Commercial Crew Program which will, next week, see astronauts launched from U.S. soil for the first time since 2011.

I have sympathy for him, he was under intense pressure to get things done, he made a mistake whilst trying to achieve what was asked of him. I suspect his successor will be picking up a bit of a poisoned chalice. 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Waspie_Dwarf
typo.

[Jon the frog]

2 hours ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

It doesn't seem that he was corrupt. His breaking of the rules wasn't becausehe was on the take.

He had been given an almost impossible job. NASA is expected to be landing humans on the Moon again by 2024. A human rated lander has to be designed, built, tested and be operational in 4½ years, all without a massive hike in NASA's budget. NASA was working towards a 2028 landing when the administration shaved 4 years off that goal.

His predecessor was removed because he was perceivedto be acting too slowly. Loverro was under pressure to achieve. He was brought in to this role specifically to act quickly. It seems that in trying to achieve the near impossible he broke the rules.

All this was going on whilst he was also in charge of the Commercial Crew Program which will, next week, see astronauts launched from U.S. soil for the first time since 2011.

I have sympathy for him, he was under intense pressure to get things done, he made a mistake whilst trying to achieve what was asked of him. I suspect his successor will be picking up a bit of a poisoned chalice. 

Never say that he was corrupt, maybe he have done it on good will. But if the rules are broken and doubt are starting to fill the room, nothing can be done to clean the air... It's still messy for NASA.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

5 hours ago, Jon the frog said:

Never say that he was corrupt, maybe he have done it on good will. But if the rules are broken and doubt are starting to fill the room, nothing can be done to clean the air... It's still messy for NASA.

It's been messy for NASA since they demoted Loverro's predecessor, William Gerstenmaier (who then resigned from NASA).

He was allegedly demoted for insisting on a test of the SLS first stage on safety grounds. This was seen as slowing Artemis down.

They lost a highly respected and experienced man in Gerstenmaier. He had been doing the job for 14 years. The decision was then made to do the test anyway. 

Loverro is a victim of the mess, not the architect of it.

[Jon the frog]

39 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

It's been messy for NASA since they demoted Loverro's predecessor, William Gerstenmaier (who then resigned from NASA).

He was allegedly demoted for insisting on a test of the SLS first stage on safety grounds. This was seen as slowing Artemis down.

They lost a highly respected and experienced man in Gerstenmaier. He had been doing the job for 14 years. The decision was then made to do the test anyway. 

Loverro is a victim of the mess, not the architect of it.

Maybe, but that story still put NASA in the spotlight, and not in a positive way...  it's just messed up ... they need to work on their political problems a lot.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Jon the frog

[qxcontinuum]

"Chief of human spaceflight " thats a hellish fancy title! 

Unspoken directive within Nasa; his duties will be absorbed by the cleaning lady Olga who is overquialifiend for her position anyways... 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

9 minutes ago, qxcontinuum said:

"Chief of human spaceflight " thats a hellish fancy title! 

What's fancy about it? What else would you call the person that is in charge of spaceflight involving humans?

[qxcontinuum]

5 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

What's fancy about it? What else would you call the person that is in charge of spaceflight involving humans?

Redundant Joe? 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Kathy Lueders named NASA chief of human spaceflight

Quote

Two weeks after the successful launch of two astronauts to the International Space Station, the director of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has been promoted to chief of the agency’s human spaceflight directorate, a portfolio that includes the Artemis moon program, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Friday.

Kathy Lueders will assume the post immediately. Her deputy, Steve Stich, will take over management of the Commercial Crew Program while former shuttle commander Ken Bowersox, the acting head of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, will resume his role as deputy associate administrator.

  Read More: Spaceflight Now

 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA official may face criminal investigation for contact with Boeing

This does not bode well for keeping to the 2024 landing goal.

Quote

The US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia has opened a criminal investigation of a former top NASA official, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The grand jury investigation concerns communications between Doug Loverro, then the chief of human spaceflight for NASA, and Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Boeing's space and launch division. These discussions occurred early this year, during a blackout period when NASA was taking bids to construct a Human Landing System for the Artemis Moon Program. It is not permissible to interfere with a competition for government contracts.

  Read More: Ars Technica