Steve Cook Departure Update

@Hanley: "To those who wish to 'read something into' Steve's departure, I say this... The substance of Ares is dependent on no specific individual. It is what the integrated team HAS accomplished and WILL accomplish that matters. And it is in your hands..."

At a boy Jeff, just keep drinking the koolaid, and handing out cups for others as well.

Jeff,

Relative to my earlier post, after more thought I have to admit to being disappointed.

With your obvious skill and experience in these matters, I would think that you could have done a much better job at spinning Cook's resignation (I guess you were off your game yesterday).

Let me give you a hand. What do you think of this: "To those who wish to 'read something into' Steve's departure, I say this... You are absolutely right! Steve Werner von Braun Cook, being a charitable Christian, wanted to ensure that he alone would not be glorified by the success which will be Ares-I. With the amazing video simulations and graphics that Steve created and inspired, how could any outcome short of complete success even be conceived! And it is now in your hands to march on to certain success, fortune and personal fame!!" (links to inspiring Cook Ares video simulations here)

So what do you think?

Reads like a very half hearted "cover" for his slinking off in the dark of night to find cover while others are left behind to burn for his mistakes.

To the good people of Dynetics: RUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!

Ad Astra!!

It would suck if Steve has been lining up a new job all this time while telling the true believers that everything is okay.

It would suck if the loyal are left to go down with the ship. I guess such is the relationship between bad manager and worker.

Why is it assumed the powers-to-be didn't give him hints if not outright choice to resign or be removed

Hey, maybe they could take Ares I private and offer it as a COTS-D alternative.

Deleted passage from the NASA memo:

"On behalf of NASA, we wish Mr. Cook all the best in his future endeavors, and sincerely hope that he never, ever darkens our benighted halls again."

@ Observer:

"Hey, maybe they could take Ares I private and offer it as a COTS-D alternative."

HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!

(I'm still laughung my a$$ off!!!)

Ad Astra!!

We should just do what the EU is proposing.

'Europe has offered to buy a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to continue manned flights after the US retires the Shuttle in two years.'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/6105809/Europe-wants-to-buy-Russian-Soyuz-spacecraft.html

I wouldn't consider buying another nations rockets to be a sustainable thing (especially with Russia, where anything is subject to politics). Unless we mean buying the design rights and bringing the rocket home.
That seems just as expensive a proposition as building your own rockets from scratch.

No commercial manned space option is currently flying. If we want to fast track one with a particular company then they'll reasonably expect that we throw in an investment to speed things along.

We will be paying to build the roller coaster we then want to ride. So what prevents constellations current contractors from making their own hellishly expensive proposal?

They would certainly ask an insane amount of money, but we've grown used to paying for more capable products (And a moon/mars sized system makes the falcon look like a firecracker).

What keeps our attempt at advancing commercial spaceflight from turning into their exercise in creative accounting?

COTS-D = no demonstrated capability.

Hell of a thing to base a space program on.

Joe Dere:
"COTS-D = no demonstrated capability.
Hell of a thing to base a space program on."

Ares = no demonstrated capability.
Hell of a thing to base a space program on.

EELV = demonstrated capability.

I wonder what the real managers of X-33, X-34 and Delta Clipper think about Steve being given (or taking?) that role.

@observer

Why is it assumed the powers-to-be didn't give him hints if not outright choice to resign or be removed

Probably because no one has the intestinal fortitude to make such a move. Constellation, indeed all of NASA, is sorely lacking in leaders. Many years ago, I had the pleasure of working with an older gentleman who understood leadership. He was a veteran of the Apollo-era NASA - technically savvy and politically incorrect. His mantra of leadership consisted of 4 parts:

1) find experts and listen to them

2) make the best decision based on the facts and move forward

3) when the team succeeds, give the team credit (take no credit yourself)

4) if the team fails, take the blame yourself (give your team cover)

Sadly, as I look around the Constellation program, I can't find a single one of these traits in abundence. Certainly it wasn't there in Mikey, and as they say, a fish rots from the head...

ew2001,

Well put!!!

More managers, within NASA/Contractors and outside the space program in general need to heed this!

I was just at townhall meeting with my congressman (Dan Lungren) for the health care mess on the hill right now. There were about 500 people at the meeting, it was great to see this kind of public interaction and interest in what the politicos are up too! Too bad we can't generate that type of public awareness towards manned space flight!

Ad Astra!!!

Did anyone else notice the guy said He'd been "weighing this decision for over a year?"

I find that comment particularly upsetting.

As one who was there for X-33 and the development of Constellation, I hope there is enough funding for Marshall to turn it around and develop the correct vehicle for the shuttle replacement, however I fear that ship has sailed and the future of NASA is not as bright as it could have been. Spaceman Out!

Wow 5 years ago NASA only needed a technically savvy leader to help lead the exploration effort.

4 years ago an architecture was chosen to move forward with

3 years ago the new administrator wasn't so new

2 years ago everything that the administrator said or did was wrong

1 year ago it was time for a change

8 months ago the NASA administrator resigned : shwwoooooh! Good Riddance!

7 months ago oh it really wasn't just him it was everyone working for him too!

6 months ago Steve became in charge of everything and he must go!

1 week ago Steve left : Wow what an ass how can he leave his troops behind! That is horrible leadership, wow look he is telling his team it is not about him how horrible!, look he is telling them this is personal decision he must be lying, wow isn't he responsible for every failed program NASA has had! Didn't he work on some other NASA program that didn't work out (unlike anybody else at NASA) OMG he quoted the bible too!!! What is wrong with him must be some weird egotistical character flaw! He couldn't actually go to Church or believe in something all he wants to do is gloat in his own glory, try to be Center Director, build a statue to himself made of ppt, and kill astronauts. He really needs to go.... But wait he is a terrible person for leaving....

Who will we make fun of now..... with no professional or personal knowledge of their careers.... with no basis for internet published rumors ( I mean if it is on the internet it must be true!!! Especially NASA Watch because the people that publish on NASA Watch they don't have a bias or personal grudge against anyone or anything)

What NASA needs are leaders that will go out an execute a program, that will try and communicate that program to the public, and then try to get the rest of the agency on board with that program, and if it succeeds give the team credit and if it is cancelled take the blame.

Wait sounds like NASA needs some Steve Cooks........

Next victim up for public ridicule is...........................

@Wow

Jeffrey Hanley – Manager of NASA's Constellation Program

Mark Geyer – Deputy manager of NASA's Constellation Program

Douglas R. Cooke – Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.

Richard Cook – Deputy manager of Mars Science Laboratory

...it is a start

VR
RS327