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Astronaut Lee Appealing Removal From Shuttle Mission
By Glen Golightly
Houston Bureau Chief
posted: 07:20 am ET
13 September 1999
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lee_appealHOUSTON Astronaut Mark Lee is appealing his removal from an upcoming shuttle mission. Lee could not be reached for comment over the weekend, but a NASA spokesman confirmed Lee wants his supervisor, Director of Flight Crew Operations James Weatherbee, to reconsider the decision. "Its not really an appeal," Edward Campion said. "He essentially asked his boss to reconsider." Campion characterized Weatherbees decision as a managers prerogative to assign different duties to employees. He added the move was administrative, not punitive, and that it involved no loss in pay or reduction in employment grade. Lee remains on flight status and is eligible to fly on future shuttle missions. There are no plans for a formal hearing, Campion said. Lee, 47, was scheduled to conduct several spacewalks to attach a laboratory module to the International Space Station in April. NASA officials have given no reason for the removal and reassignment, citing that it was an internal Astronaut Office matter. Lee, an Air Force colonel, has been replaced by Robert Curbeam, a Navy lieutenant commander on the shuttle mission. NASA does not typically assign a back up crew on shuttle missions and rarely removes astronauts from missions. Lee, who joined NASA in 1984, has flown on the shuttle four times and has about 25 hours of spacewalking time racked up.
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