re: Carter Goldin
If we look back at the Shuttle development, after Nixon decided to have NASA build the Shuttle the way we know, Carter didn't change NASA's policy about it.
What I find regrettable about Goldin was to have refused to link ISS to MIR. The new modules could have grown from MIR and slowly replaced the old ones. This way, there would have been a slow transition from Russia to the US, without leaving space unmanned and without hurting Russians' feelings.
MIR had a fascinating story going from politics to human adventures, endurances, private involvement and MIR had a worldwide know recognizable name!
Raoul