NASA's Griffin is losing it; obstructing Obama Transition:

[Bernardo de La Paz]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_space_thewritestuff/2008/12/nasa-has-become.html

CAPE CANAVERAL – NASA administrator Mike Griffin is not cooperating with President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team, is obstructing its efforts to get information and has told its leader that she is “not qualified” to judge his rocket program, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.

In a heated 40-minute conversation last week with Lori Garver, a former NASA associate administrator who heads the space transition team, a red-faced Griffin demanded to speak directly to Obama, according to witnesses.

...

The tensions are due to the fact that NASA’s human space flight program is facing its biggest crossroads since the end of the Apollo era in the 1970s. The space shuttle is scheduled to be retired in 2010, and the next-generation Constellation rockets won’t fly before 2015. Nearly four years ago, President Bush brought in Griffin to implement a plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 as a prelude to going to Mars. Griffin and his team selected Constellation, with its NASA-designed Ares I rocket and Orion capsule, as cheaper and safer than existing rockets. Constellation – especially Ares 1 -- is the center of what Griffin sees as his legacy to return humans to the frontiers of space.

...

Tensions were on public display last week at the NASA library, as overheard by guests at a book party. According to people who were present, Logsdon, a space historian, told a group of about 50 people he had just learned that President John F. Kennedy’s transition team had completely ignored NASA. Griffin responded, in a loud voice, “I wish the Obama team would come and talk to me.” Alan Ladwig, a transition team member who was at the party with Garver, shouted out: “Well, we’re here now, Mike.” Soon after, Garver and Griffin engaged in what witnesses said was an animated conversation. Some overheard parts of it. “Mike, I don’t understand what the problem is. We are just trying to look under the hood,” Garver said. “If you are looking under the hood, then you are calling me a liar,” Griffin replied. “Because it means you don’t trust what I say is under the hood.

[Mugweed]

1. He's always been a d-bag.

When the last shuttle didn't make it back. the analysis was that the problem could have been avoided if NASA didn't trivialize some of the safety concerns. The reasoning was that certain safety protocols were skipped because NASA was operating on a launch-date based mentality. In that kind of operation, certain safety precautions end up being skipped in order to meet a launch deadline. There was a internal shakeup and they all said things would change, that they would stop operating that way and focus on safety first. Well, good old Griffin is back to his old ways and NASA is still operating on a launch-date based mentality.

Griffin is a Republican stooge.

[zippy890]

2. interesting

whats under the hood, NASA?

[merh]

3. Keep slamming the hood down on me and protesting "trust me"

and it will make me more determined to see under the hood and move you out of the way to see what you are hiding.

[Fleshdancer]

4. Ugh. I know his type all too well.

The brilliant prima donnas are the absolute WORST people to work with.

[Renew Deal]

5. It sounds like he's overreacting.

The title of this article is a little bit much. This guy sounds like he's protective of the programs and he's got some control issues. Hopefully they can get it resolved.

[Teaser]

6. "he had just learned that President John F. Kennedy’s transition team had completely ignored NASA"

news to JFK, I'll bet.

[dascientist]

9. ummmmm, probably because JFK has EXPIRED!!!!!! :/

[Maru Kitteh]

7. The tone of this article is way too gossipy for me to take any of it seriously

OMG!

NO WAY!

TOTALLY!

[AllentownJake]

8. Yeah he should be looking for work in the private sector

something tells me he's getting a resignation letter to sign on January 20 at around 12:01 pm.

[Soylent Brice]

10. a Bush appointee upset with Obama transition team... and why do we give a shit?

can we just replace this guy, or no?

[GoneOffShore]

12. Twelve Monkey's fan?

I worked on that show. Fun when it wasn't totally frustrating.

[Soylent Brice]

13. tell me more, tell me everything. details.

i implore you.

[GoneOffShore]

26. Very low level -

Production assistant stuff - not even in the credits.

And Pitt was totally "method-y" at that time - didn't bathe while the scenes in the mental hospital were being filmed. That was a little weird.

Willis was "ok" but totally tried to take over direction of the film - so he wasn't exactly loved by the production staff.

Terry Gilliam was super nice to everybody from the first a.d. to the people who brought him coffee.

[Soylent Brice]

27. he seems like someone really approachable (Gilliam)

Pitt, i believe the non-bathing part.

i recall he was the same way in Kalifornia... lol

[me b zola]

11. I wouldn't buy a used car from someone who says, "trust me!"

"...You hurt my feelings by wanting to look under the hood." Why would we expect that a multi-billion dollar agency should be able to act like a flim-flam used car sales person?

[Phoonzang]

14. Eh, he's just worried Obama's going to look more closely at his deathtrap Ares I rocket.

I hope Obama doesn't start taking chunks out of space flight, but they need to be able to at least look under the hood.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. Why is it a deathtrap?

Just curious. I mean, it looks like a top-heavy toothpick, but given that they'll be able to mount an escape system on top of the capsule, one would think it's gotta be safer than the shuttle.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Could be; Griffin seems to have a launch oriented mentality, not safety oriented.

[pokerfan]

24. There are 'concerns'

Insufficient power, a resonance problem, liftoff drift...

Ares' woes have created unprecedented rifts inside the agency.

Now several engineers are speaking out, saying Ares should be canceled because it's expensive and potentially dangerous.

"It's time for a rethink," said Jeff Finckenor, an award-winning NASA engineer who last month quit the Ares program in frustration over the way the program is being managed.

http://www.physorg.com/news144307123.html

[Warren DeMontague]

25. Interesting. Thanks for the link. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Dude was put there by Bush- he probably doesn't even believe the Earth is round.

Maybe we need some actual science people in charge of NASA.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. That's ignorant. Griffin is an aerospace scientist and physicist with 7 degrees.

(on edit: I was mistaken about his career, but I checked)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. The guy's a global warming denier.

The guy's as dumb as any Creationist.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. They say the moon is a harsh mistress.

You're right, I'm just being a smartass, and probably unfair to the dude- even though, as others have noted, he may have interfered with NASA science on Global Warming at the behest of Bushco.

Anyway, even Bush admitted he sort of believes in evolution... no wonder the GOP base is so in love with Sarah Palin- she genuinely believes all that 6,000 year old Earth gibberish.

[MilesColtrane]

19. A man who is so paranoid that his pet project will be cut to the point that...

...he doesn't talk to his new bosses......is a man who wants it to succeed so badly he might refuse to acknowledge any inherent flaws in it.

Sounds like he may need to be replaced.

[Johonny]

21. as cheaper and safer

two terms that in general don't go together

[derby378]

23. Well, considering that our tax dollars pay for what's under the hood...

I think we're all entitled to a nice long peek. NASA is supposed to be a civilian-run outfit. This isn't AFFTC Det 3, ya know.