NASA reorganisation

Micheal Griffin seems to acting the "new broom" role by changing the jobs of 50 senior managers at NASA.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1029

Craig Steidle has resigned, not surprising as I think there had been some problems reported already between the 2 men. Not sure whether that is good or bad, I thought he was doing OK but I suppose he was appointed by Sean O'Keefe so he might have had baggage with him that Griffin didn't want to carry. Hope they appoint someone who will be willing to finance T-Space's CXV craft.

The biggest change, if NASA really wants to be effective, is to really make sure that they dont hire more people then they need. They have to let go off the 'local responsibilities' (not sure if thats the word) they probably have off the government. They're big, they do lots of different things, but if they really want to go efficiently into a new age, they have to reorganise everything. Not just a few top managers, they dont built rockets.

That is true. But Griffin is smart enough to know that alienating the 'standing armies' doesn't get you anywhere. The standing armies are best served with actual HLLV hardware that keeps their political support for NASA alive. If you slice jobs after you rebuild infrastructure--that is one thing.

What Goldin did was to keep the jobs--but fragmenting control--building kingdoms--and giving people make-work--instead of real hardware.

Griffin is a hardware man. He is limited to the cuts he really wants to make, because he needs support--so he had to give the aviation people a bone. Same with Hubble.

I would have put a ban on all Delta launched Mars missions, let that Delta II take a rest--and focused on HLLV only.

But I'm not Chief Admin--Griff is--and he knows what he has to do...and how.

It seems the management cull goes on, latest hit are:-



Looks like Griffin is hitting all the major NASA posts. I wonder who he will be getting to take over, possibly a shuffle round like a government winning a second term. Nah not his style, it'll probably be new blood.

http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050606/ ... 06-11.html

Steidle HAD to go--he was becoming a real obstuctionist and a real EELV-only hack for the prime contractors---and did his best to undermine Griff's heavy-lift mandate.

BTW I spoke with Pete Worden a couple of days ago and expressed my concern that the project-formerly-known-as-ARES might be awarded to Boeing or Lockheed-Martin, and how this must not be allowed since their first reaction would be to sit on it so as to not threaten their existing expendable product lines.

Hu Davis of Starbooster fame had asked for help--but was turned down. And now orbital sciences gets busted by the Feds.

The Druyen types are still infesting the Pentagon.

Yeah, what was it that OS did? I remember hearing something scandalous about them, but I don't remember quite what.

I wish Griff luck. He is going to need it.