NASA shake-up leaves space program in confusion [View all]

[Eugene]

Source: Quartz

IN-FLIGHT ADJUSTMENT

NASA shake-up leaves space program in confusion

By Tim Fernholz July 11, 2019

The NASA executive in charge of human space exploration has been ousted over disagreements on the space agency’s plans to land an astronaut on the moon by 2024.

President Donald Trump has asked the space agency to put humans back on the moon before the end of his potential second term in office, but neither the White House nor NASA has won congressional support for the plan. Now, the US space program will attempt to find a path forward without its most consistent figure.

Late yesterday, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine re-assigned associated administrator William Gerstenmaier and his deputy Bill Hill to “special advisor” positions, and replaced them with Ken Bowersox, a former astronaut, and Tom Whitmeyer, a long-time NASA employee.

Gerstenmaier had been associate administrator in charge of the human operations and exploration directorate since 2005. In that role, he was responsible for the bulk of NASA’s budget: Overseeing the International Space Station, shuttering the space shuttle program, developing NASA’s new deep space exploration vehicles, and transitioning towards purchasing space transportation from private companies.

Few would have been surprised if Gersteinmaier, 65, had announced retirement plans in the near future, but his sudden demotion shocked space program observers.

-snip-

Read more: https://qz.com/1664077/nasa-fires-top-official-over-moon-2024/

______________________________________________________________________

Source: The Independent

Nasa chief fired as Trump administration vents frustration over moon landing delays

Mike Pence put agency's leaders on notice, saying they would be held accountable if they could not complete mission

Christian Davenport
4 hours ago

The sudden removal of Nasa’s head of human exploration William Gerstenmaier on Wednesday is a clear sign the White House is increasingly frustrated with the agency’s efforts to return humans to the surface of the moon by 2024.

Donald Trump‘s administration is laser-focused on that date, which would come during a second term of his presidency, should he be re-elected.

But despite the mandate, Nasa has continued to struggle with delays and cost overruns that have threatened the programme.

And the ousting of one of the longest-serving stalwarts in the agency shows how far the White House and Nasa’s politically appointed leadership are willing to go towards disrupting Nasa and attempting to break through the bureaucracy many think has stilted its exploration efforts for years.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/nasa-trump-moon-landing-mike-pence-william-gerstenmaier-a9002386.html