Geek Habitat

NASA ignores the dissent and warnings of its own? Again.

NASA’s chief safety officer (a former Space Shuttle Commander) and the Space Shuttle Program Manager do not agree with the decision to go for launch of STS-121, but pressures force both to amend/table their dissent and sign off on launch for July 1, 2006. You can find their amended sign-offs on the last two pages of the Certificate of Flight Readiness PDF posted on NASA.gov.

NASA is also handling its employees, including top level safety and Shuttle program officials, preventing them from discussing concerns with the media. Statements are written and approved by the NASA Public Relations office for media dissemination.

SNAFU: Situation Normal, All F’ed Up!

NASA: Not Again, a Shuttle Accident.

{Or the old and heartless “Need Another Seven Astronauts” that went around post-Challenger.}

I’m sure analysis paralysis was mentioned multiple times, but in this case analysis from one failed mission and one completed (with an in-flight repair, “just in case”) mission have shown direct evidence of the foam-shedding problem and its direct threat to loss of crew and loss of vehicle.