A Shuttle Cock Up

posted by The Vidiot @ 8:19 PM Permalink

Space Shuttle 'Discovery' Launch Set for Saturday

Normally this would turn me on like 2 hookers and an 8 ball ... but somehow I have my doubts:

NASA test director Jeff Spaulding said the shuttle has no technical problems that would prevent a launch.

Well Hooray for Captain Spaulding! At least until you read this:

At a meeting two weeks before the expected launch, leaders with NASA's Office of the Chief Engineer and Office of Safety and Mission Assurance recommended that the shuttle not fly until further design changes had been made to the tank. NASA administrator Michael Griffin, however, favored flying without more changes

Now wait just a darn tootin' minute! An administrator overruled engineers!? Isn't this exactly how the Challenger and Columbia accidents happened?

But wait, there's more!

A top NASA engineer says he's been forced from his job.
[...]
In an e-mail to co-workers, Charlie Camarda praises colleagues for questioning the wisdom of going ahead with the launch and says he was reassigned.

The former chief of the engineering directorate did not say whether he believes the shuttle is safe to launch Saturday. Earlier this month, two top engineers recommended postponing the mission to do more work to prevent foam from breaking off during launch.

Camarda says he "refused to abandon" his position on the mission management team. His e-mail says he was moved to a different job after he said he'd "have to be fired from" his position if he wasn't allowed to work this mission.

Since there is a public record of Bush appointed administrators silencing scientists, whether it is global warming, 9/11 contamination, public health, reproductive health, AIDS, etc, etc, etc; Bush has always appointed political idealogues to rule over actual science.

God speed the crew of the Discovery, and god protect you ... especially from administrators and politics.