Space/Science — HabitableZone

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Mike Griffin is probably a good choice
Gary — (archived)

The President's selection of Michael D. Griffin as NASA Administrator is probably good news. Mike Griffin has worked as a techie and also as an academic. He's not a bean counter or mid-level management bozo. Griffin co-authored a book on spacecraft design. Griffin was a NASA civil servant but ran a foul of Dan Goldin when Goldin was forcing a particular design for the Space Station using cooked/bogus data. Griffin wrote a dissenting letter about the bogus review and decision making process. Griffin's action was career suicide and he knew it. Goldin responded by promoting Griffin to an empty office with nothing to do (standard procedure for disposing of an inconvenient civil servant). Griffin resigned from NASA and did various management and academic jobs. He was heavily involved with SDIO stuff. I'm a little worried about that SDIO connection because Griffin might be part of a Bush hidden agenda to militarize NASA (that's my own paranoia coming through).

Bottom line: Griffin is an honest techie with management experience who'll stick to his guns when confronted by a tyrant like Dan Goldin.

Gary

p.s. I hope Griffin isn't accepting a poisoned chalice. Goldin wrecked NASA and despite Sean O'Keefe's efforts, the agency maybe beyond repair.

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