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Report Card on NASA's Daniel Goldin
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 07:00 am ET
17 May 2001
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Shaky ship of space
Although rumors abound concerning a Goldin replacement, the list of those already purported to have turned the job down may demand an extra pad of paper.
Lambright told SPACE.com that the current Bush administration is not very interested in space or science and technology in general, except for health. "It doesn’t look like a good time for NASA at this juncture," he said.
Likely to be the major program of NASA for the next few years is completing the International Space Station.
"Is that exciting? It’s important…but it seems to me that the most ambitious people that go to government are those who feel they can make a difference…make their mark," Lambright said.
To the extent that the Bush White House is interested in space, they are more attuned to defense space matters, Lambright said. Still, a thorny issue NASA wrestles with is access to space. Both civilian and military interests are wrapped up in defining cheaper ways to send payloads and people into Earth orbit.
"That seems to be a priority. That might link NASA and the Defense Department in ways that are going to be very subtle and not so subtle, but very controversial and difficult to work out, I suspect," Lambright said. "You don’t want NASA to become a handmaiden to the Defense Department," he added.
"Whoever gets to run NASA next has a tough job," Lambright said.
NASA in a post-Goldin world is likely to need a leader that can work with the military, finish the International Space Station safely and "won’t make too many waves," he said. | | | |
