Steve Cook Is Leaving NASA

Does anybody have a list of all the projects which Steve Cook managed? So far I have X-33, X-34, DC-X (after project takeover by NASA), and the Ares I.

"Like sands through the hourglass, so are The Days of Our Lives..."

Writing is on the wall...

...we can all hope that this is only the beginning...

VR
RS327

Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out, chum!

The writing is on the wall. The shuttle will fly until 2015. What choice is there now.

Sell your Dynetics stock quickly.

Stevie got his feelings hurt cause he wanted to be Center Director. Charlie Bolden is much smarter than that.

I would have thought Steve Cook would resign to become Mike Griffin's secretary to help UofA design and build a self destruct rocket. Maybe Dynetic has the contract with UofA.

Everything is going well, I'm leaving? Who is this guy, the Iraqi Information Minister?

And several references to his religion. The 43rd POTUS did that too.

As Luke 3 says: O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Maybe his name is Bolden. Maybe thanks to him the vipers will be saved from the reckoning of 2009. But this is only a temporary comfort.

The rats are running down the ropes as the Augustine Committee report approaches delivery.

all of you crack me up - too funny

Glory, Glory hallelujah
Glory, Glory hallelujah
Glory, Glory hallelujah

This is the same company that former MSFC Director Dave King joined after retiring in March. See...

http://www.dynetics.com/news/news_detail.php?id=113

But Brain, if Steve leaves whos going to be the next Von Braun then? - Narf

Bye

Danny Davis could be a humbler version of VB

Wow what timing, just like in the perfect storm! Ares is on the verge of being killed by not showing up as one of the Augustine commission "options", MSFC doesn't select Steve as Center Director, and Steve deciding to leave NASA after pondering for a year his transitioning from public service to private enterprise. All coming together on the same week! Wow what are the odds? All things work for good I guess. Who will be next?

How utterly predictable - but how did NASA let this joker get so high up based on his legacy of failed programs? If you learn from your mistakes, he must be a friggin genius!

There seems to be general satisfaction with Steve Cook leaving NASA. Would it be possible for some of you insiders to fill some of us outsiders in on why this is?

The less generous out there may be willing to whisper that Mr. Cook is leaving before CxP publically crashes and burns and General Bolden rewards him for his work by putting him in charge of the Antarctic mission centre that carries out the balloon-carried CMB and environmental monitoring missions. :p

I prefer a slightly less acidic theory. It is pretty clear now that, post Augustine and the revised FY2010 budget, NASA is going to be a smaller and more humble agency. Its job will be to build spacecraft (occasionally) and fly missions on other people's rockets. If it does get a new manned spacecraft, it will also be from a external source. Quite a come down from the glory days of Apollo and Shuttle. If there is one thing that I do know about "Big Steve" is that he doesn't do "small and humble". I think he's getting out rather than have to adapt to and endure the new reality.

Such a shame that all the guys and gals in the trenches at MSFC, GSC, JSC, Ames, KSC and so forth won't be able to parachute out into a nice, comfortable directorship.

"prayerful consideration" Is it me or is this odd in an engineer? I don't mean that engineers are atheists, but prayerful consideration would never boost your thrust to weight ratio or change aerodynamics.

"Who is this guy, the Iraqi Information Minister?"

lol! nice one centurian !

NASA stock just went up. Poor Dynetics. Cook was a first class jerk and egomaniac. Don't let the door hit you in the butt Steve.

Has Dynetics become like a halfway house for wayward MSFC executives with questionable records of service? Do they plan to use these guys for future NASA work? There must be some plan, right? The technical prowess here and track record of failures is well documented.

What happens if the federal investigative bodies actually wake up and conduct a complete investigation of Ares/King/Others and Cook's actions while in office? Program fraud, false reporting, misconduct, obstruction, conspiracy and retaliation against those who knew better are Title 18 criminal violations. A full and complete investigation will serve notice to Dynetics and all the other companies with "sleeper cells" that there will be no more tolerance for fraud in government programs and collecting the skills to "influence" government processes gains you no advantage.

He has guts to quote "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength"?!

While what he actually does is deserting his own team in "times of trouble"?!

I'm shocked not by how small his strength is, but how huge his arrogance is.

My goodness- you all should be ashamed for making personal attacks on somebody who you probably don't even know or have met. You all are acting like high schoolers. Grow up and shame on you!

I look forward to seeing how you charitable souls treat Teresa Vanhooser.

finally!

I just dumped my Dynetics stock!

Good news again for MSFC but how many people will loose their jobs at Dynetics because of him?

Maybe NOW we can get on with building a vehicle that will allow us to get into space regularly and also go beyond LEO?!

Ad Astra!!!

That's pretty much it for Ares.

When the top managers start looking inward and move on to other areas and tell the remaining suckers how great a job they have done..... well, you know the rest.

yeah!!!! :)

Not the worst news I received this week.

I think with the sorry list of failed (incomplete) projects NASA has rung up at MSFC that they need to bring in an outsider. Someone from the Air Force or other armed services that has developed something technical. Someone that understands processes and steps.

Not a pencil whipping like they did with the Turkey Baster (shape and color) Ares 1 rocket to keep it alive for 2 more years. Waiting for the laws of physics to change so it's problems could be solved.

If NASA and MSFC can't do better than the last 15 years then commercial salvation is the only other route.

OH NO! I guess thats it for NASA Watch. I mean without Steve to BASH about the head and shoulders on a daily basis what will all of the haters do?

Bad news on Dynetics stock...Dynetics is a privately held company, but it is employee-owned, so pity for the folks there. This whole thing stinks worse than a pile of week-old dead fish. Good riddance.

Administrator Bolden is laying the groundwork for a new organization. Just let it play out as it must. He knows exactly what he is doing. Have no fear.

> personal attacks on somebody who you probably don't even know or have met.

But we know somebody's track record

It is with the backdrop of these accomplishments that I am writing to tell you that after long and prayerful consideration, I have decided to depart NASA after 19 years of service.

The above is very strange, The infidels are fleeing they are like a snake in the desert, we will chop the snake to bits. We will win easily.

Soom how I hope the trend continues. I guess his going away party will be on NASA TV. All is good and we are happy Gen Bolden. Daemon be gone I say, Daemon be gone.

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.
Wernher von Braun

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 addition, Griffin is scripting NASA employees and civilian contractors on what they can tell the transition team and has warned aerospace executives not to criticize the agency’s moon program, sources said.

Haha, you guys can bash all you want - Steve is probably going to make twice what he did at NASA with 1/2 the headache.

All this bashing over the years, & now you'll get what you wanted I guess - a much reduced NASA with no flags, footprints, anything for 2 decades. Yeah, let's flyby the Moon and an asteroid - it'll excite everybody.

Too bad NASAwatch lost 1/2 of its content now that Big Steve is gone.

I don't know S. Cook, and I've taken with a grain of salt all the 'unbiased' criticism he's gotten on this board, so as far as I'm concerned this is neither good or bad.

What I am fairly certain of, however, is that in 3-7 years (more likely 3 years seeing where things are headed) I'll be just as excited as today's bloggers when the time comes for the current Administrator and his political cadre to head out the door. I sincerely hope to be proven wrong but, alas, what little we've seen since the 2008 campaign began to this date doesn't bode well.

Bolden may be a good guy, but that alone doesn't make for good policy/results and, ultimately, he will be responsible for the decisions made.

Funny to think that the departure of someone with this guy's track record is being viewed as "the end" rather than "a glorious housecleaning," the potential for which does exist, believe it or not.

Sorry to lose such a bold leader.

I am guessing the tide of opposite thinking people has finally turned for the better of some but worse for others.

I'd say about a 2:1 ratio of "Get Lost/Good Riddens" to "Fare thee Well". Whether he would have become a factor to dispose of or continue to solve future problems and execute plans is no longer a question. We have a few days to go until A-C presents a small number of choices to Obama & Co. Obama will struggle with the representatives of every district that has a finger in the NASA pie. Huntsville is a major factor. Will the choices Obama makes replace Ares 1/5 with sufficient work to retain MSFC and other facilities personnel? From what A-C has stated so far, its clear that Ares I will be terminated. No love lost there. Ares V might continue for heavy lift and could this provide the work to maintain the staffing and activity that Ares I generated? Is there a clear responsibility to find "homes" for all the effected Ares I workers? [congressmen say 'yes!'] Alternatively, if Direct V3 is chosen to replace both Ares I/V then will that easily dovetail into MSFC-Ares activities? My hope is that NASA sets forth to build an unmanned heavy lift vehicle, turn to commercial vehicles for manned flight to LEO, re-invigorate SMD and robotics development, and set a long-term goal of developing interplanetary propulsion systems to carry manned vehicles to planetary destinations in weeks rather than many months or years. If that becomes NASA's new directive, then missions to the Moon or Mars will be one of many possible destinations open to NASA. Additionally, it is time to begin taking international cooperation to the next level such that the Moon or Mars are not American triumphs but rather International ones.

"When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout...'Relieve the watch!'"

> personal attacks on somebody who you probably don't even know or have met.

>>But we know somebody's track record

Oh right, I forgot that gives you leave to act like children

This sounds like a circular firing squad to me. This guy may or may not have been a jerk, but you guys are having a weenie roast as the house burns down around you. Incredible! I've got a flash for you guys, "The Best & The Brightest" over at OMB and other locals on Mt. Olympus, have got there knives out and are looking at you! As we say in my profession, when the rats start leaving the ship, which is a very bad prognostic indicator. The real enemy has decided that the HSF and most real space exploration is an obstacle to be removed from the road to the new workers paradise, and they don't care whose booster is better. That will be change you can believe in.

Lowly Contractor ... I agree with what you said. And we have to remember that neither Huntsville or Alabama voted for Obama ... for what that's worth. And it may be significant.

I've known Steve since he was a summer student from Minnesota back in the late '80s. I never had a problem with him. Sure, he's aggressive and determined (and maybe even hard-headed at times), but I suspect a lot of the negativism being expressed toward him is due to jealousy of the meteoric rise of such a young man in the Agency.

> what little we've seen since the 2008 campaign began to this date doesn't bode well.

Yeah he's broken a lot of things hasn't he. In less than a year he has already cost the country trillions in debt and jobs. Starting two crusades and crashing the economy will be Obama's legacy.

> "The Best & The Brightest" over at OMB and other locals on Mt. Olympus, have got there knives out and are looking at you!

That is a good thing. NASA has been wasting money and going nowhere for years. You think NASA is entitled to money.

I wonder how the U.S. public will take it when Chinese wave goodbye on its way out of Low Earth Orbit LEO, and we can’t even get to LEO without the Russian’s.

Obama should read what happened to Eisenhower when Russia launched Sputnik.

President Eisenhower tried to downplay the event and said Sputnik was one small ball in the air.

Well… the American public didn’t take it well then and definitely won’t take it well now if we just sit back and watch the world just pass us by.

@Hartswick

LOL, why am I not surprised to see people suffering from acute Obama derangement syndrome make up conspiracy theories about HSF being "removed"? If Obama forces NASA to go commercial he will have done more for space than any other president since Johnson.
The people around here blaming Obama are just beyond pathetic.
Bush and most of all Griffin [Profanity deleted], that is fact.

It is always odd to encounter religious overtones from engineers. One would think that of all people, those in a field where success is dictated by logic and reason that mysticism would have been shown the back door. It is such a bizarre contradiction of character traits... But then again, how successful would you expect high-level actions and projects of such a person to be when their core philosophy is a foundation of such contradiction?

Blaming HSF woes and worries on "the new workers paradise" is both hyperbole and denial.

You may recall both presidents Bush making grand speeches about future destinations, but oops, leaving the national checkbook somewhere back in the oval office.

You may recall an ATK welfare and "national security" program called "the stick" which only needs a few tens of billions and another decade or so, to maybe do what a current EELV can do in a few years with some human rating mods.

Other examples abound. The reasons HSF arrived at this point must be faced. It's truth time. Perhaps the deciders will come up with a lame program, perhaps they will come up with a smart new direction. Let's hope for the latter.

Ironic that a spaceflight proponent's favorite government program (NASA) is seen as deserving a blank check, but some other government programs are seen as "the new workers paradise."

The politicians who appropriate funds, on both sides of the aisle, will not find that a convincing argumant.

Bush didn't do a whole lot for NASA either, so get off the political garbage.

It dosn't matter what political affiliation the President is, its what he does and/or is doing.

Obama made his conviction very clear early on, and that is to junk NASA!

John F. Kennedy took us to the Moon, and thank God for him or we would still be using typewriters.

Oh, ya... wasn't he a democrat???

Regarding the religiosity of engineers, New Scientist recently published an article which reported research which revealed that engineers were in fact rather more prone to religious sentiments than most of us; they like rules, cause and effect, and so forth, and they see such things as being reflected in their own lives - especially if they have a fairly meagre liberal education. A surprising number of engineering students turn into jihadists.

Physicists, on the other hand, do spiritual, but barely theistic. Geologists do rocks.

Me, I'm for rocks.

Bob Shaw

The thing is, there might likely be hundreds of Stevie-minnie-me minions throughout the CxP ranks.

From MSFC & JSC & KSC with similar characteristics (arrogant jerks with a long list of failed projects or ISS 3rd string players etc.).

So @ Astroboy:
"a glorious housecleaning, the potential for which does exist,"

They'll have to if they really want to significantly improve implementation & effectively manage whatever the new program is going to be.

Wayne,

Couldn't agree more on BOTH posts. But alas for your second one about Kennedy, if you look at his fiscal policies you'll see he was really rather conservative compared to the Demo party of today. Same could be said of Lincoln, he was not exactly a concervative by Reagans standards. Enough with the political history review.

I can only hope that in the end the President REALLY looks at the situation and relaizes the rest of the world is not only coming (fast) they are passing us in several respects in space activities. Hopefully he sees where that can only lead to our contry being put in a very bad position regarding some who would rather us not be so high and mighty.

Ad Astra!!

Boy, speculation sure is fun! Especially when a statement is made and followed by something like "[..], and thats a fact". I wish it really was as easy as stating something is true to actually make it true. I'm content to wait and see how the Administration handles the Augustine report and NASA's future - whether its as game-changing as everyone seems to expect it to be, or if its turns out anticlimatic. Should be interesting.

Steve Cook did a lot of bad things. He ignored major ethical and technical problems in his project office. He let the NASA led software and avionics effort get 2 years behind schedule. He let a Chief Engineer lie to the Augustine commission (Oh and let "manufactured data" be presented about LOC/LOM at the same public meeting). He gave fix contracts to some and took them from others. He allowed the 6th floor of 4203 to become a brothel for some of his SES managers. He refused to remove people when presented with overwhelming proof of misdeeds. He turned a blind eye to people being punished for NOT doing the wrong thing. He is a product of the subculture at MSFC. One that may get fixed with a new leader.

But he is saved. Forgiven and loved by God. Do not try and diminish that.

Steve Cook never met a computer animation he didn't like. Just go back the last decade and look at all of the great works he commissioned for all of the many programs he managed that never even made it to a test flight. He showed that being able to put on a good PR show for the NASA administration could help you rise up to almost be a center director, one could almost call him the Dr. Von Braun of computer animations but it be a shame to use his name in the same sentence.

So what happened to the old ethic of the Captain going down with his ship?

This guy "helicoptered" off the ship, while tell the crew that "everything's fine, and just keep on rowing".

But that's right, he prayed, so at least his conscious is clear.

What a guy!!!

I hope I have a job next month.

Steve Cook never met a computer animation he didn't like. Just go back the last decade and look at all of the great works he commissioned for all of the many programs he managed that never even made it to a test flight. He showed that being able to put on a good PR show for the NASA administration could help you rise up to almost be a center director, one could almost call him the Dr. Von Braun of computer animations but it be a shame to use his name in the same sentence.

I think this gets to the core of Steve's unpopularity. Ten years ago, when the fancy animations and graphics were relatively new, Steve's mastery of these techniques rocketed him to the top. Now, they are old hat, and people are really looking for substance, which just isn't there.

The biggest surprise to all is that Griffin did not see through all of this. I think this and many other poor decisions eroded Griffin's credibility and knocked him down from status of "oberengineer/administrator" to ivory tower professor (book smarts but no practical smarts). Griffin certainly was a poor judge of talent, and paid the price for it.

Regardless, MSFC really needs a good house cleaning, and perhaps a reduction in force to help out NASA and Redstone Arsenal. This resignation is hopefully an indication of things to come.

Honest question: In his 19 years at NASA, did Steve Cook manage any projects which didn't end overbudget and in utter failure? I've been sincerely looking, and I can't find a single positive example.

"Honest question: In his 19 years at NASA, did Steve Cook manage any projects which didn't end overbudget and in utter failure? I've been sincerely looking, and I can't find a single positive example"

Well you got to admit, at least he was consistent...

Seriously, how come now-one in a position of responsibility bothered to check Cook's track record BEFORE he was made manager of the various project he drove into the ditch??

And very sadly, Cook is only a poster child for incompetent management in HSF -- run checks on some of the other current HSF managers and see what you find. It won't be pretty.

This all points to a very systemic problem at NASA. One that desperately needs fixing...

Seriously, how come now-one in a position of responsibility bothered to check Cook's track record BEFORE he was made manager of the various project he drove into the ditch??

And very sadly, Cook is only a poster child for incompetent management in HSF -- run checks on some of the other current HSF managers and see what you find. It won't be pretty.

I blame NASA management...the politically appointed variety that is. Let's recall how things transpired.

Steve morphed ASTP into NGLT towards the end of Goldin's tenure. This brought it in line with priorities at the time, but it was quickly overcome by events when O'Keefe took office.

This became especially evident when Steidle took the helm of the new ESMD. Steidle did not take kindly to Cook and MSFC shenanigans, and didn't want to have anything to with them. Unfortunately, Shelby applied the pressure, and the anti-MSFC push abated.

This changed dramatically when Griffin took office. He had a long association with Steve and his early career mentor, Gene Austin, primarily with DC-X and the whole SSTO business. Griffin loved Steve, and was completely enamored by the way he conducted the launch vehicle assessments for ESAS.

As long as Griffin was in power, the only direction that Steve could go was up. Once Griffin was ejected, it was only a matter of time before Steve would experience the same fate.

Just remember, the program and project people at MSFC love Steve Cook. He has been key in establishing their big space transportation programs in the past. I suspect that he will continue to work things behind the scenes in an effort to reenter NASA as Administrator or a high level official in the future.

They did what??? -- You make many very strong accusations about Mr. Cook. If you knew about any of these actions or inactions, did you do anything about it? Did you report them? If you did -- bravo.

But, if you did not, why? If you did not do so, sounds like you are just as guilty of not doing the right thing if you knew about them. Does Matthew 7:3 apply here? "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

If it does, I would just stop while you are behind.

One would think he got off lightly and got parasailed into a cushy position to avoid responsibility. Unlike his subordinates who are left to dig out of his sh$#.

After running so many billions of dollars of public monies into the ground one X project after another, one would expect him to have to own up to at least *some* responsibility.

No blame yet, but There should be an investigation. (ATK, ARES, Griffin's napkin, Cook, Horowitz, etc... safe, simple and SOON) due to the sheer amount of tax monies and time spent.

Guess he turned out to be the next non Braun.

personal attacks on somebody who you probably don't even know or have met.

We know/knew him. The comments are justified.

@AL ""prayerful consideration" Is it me or is this odd in an engineer? I don't mean that engineers are atheists, but prayerful consideration would never boost your thrust to weight ratio or change aerodynamics."

Al, It's a well known fact that Von Braun himself was a self-professed christian, and regularly attended a local lutheran congregation. His conversion experience is detailed in Michael Neufeld's biography. There is anecdotal evidence that he regularly utliized "prayerful consideration" in his life's work, the Apollo Program.

Take it or leave it.

Ad Astra,

I agree, John F. Kennedy was considerably more conservative than a typical Blue Dog Democrat today, but if you look back over the years I don’t think either political affiliation has championed manned space flight one way or the other.

I am a huge fan of VASIMR; I'm eagerly awaiting the test results on the second stage ramp-up to 200kW.

A little worried at this point, they were supposed to start testing the second stage at the end of July and so far not a peep?

Go Ad Astra Go!

RockyJones,

Did you know that China has over 200,000 people working on their manned space program?

Don't fool yourself, they could easily be on the moon by 2020!

Space -- "You make many very strong accusations about Mr. Cook. If you knew about any of these actions or inactions, did you do anything about it? Did you report them? If you did -- bravo."

Everything that "They Did What???" claims is completely accurate and was reported to the Inpsector General two years ago. Soon after the investigation was completed, many of those who had reported the "bad things" were no longer part of the Ares Team, further validating "...He turned a blind eye to people being punished for NOT doing the wrong thing."

@worried sick

I am with you... This all points to a distinct spike in unemployment.

Ares might not be everyone's favorite path, but the collapse that appears coming can only set the effort back for years. Even the HSF people have acknowledged the challenges of a change in path...

@sc220,

Thanks for the blow by blow on Cook's career evolution. It points to another sad truth that plays large at MSFC and other parts of NASA: the true objective is "funding" vehicles, not "flight" vehicles.

Another systemic problem at NASA that has to change...

RockyJones,

Just something Michael said on March of 2007.

Comparisons to Gemini:

Griffin compared China's capabilities to NASA's Gemini program successes of the mid-1960s. The 10 Gemini flights in 1965 and 1966 schooled NASA in spacewalks, orbital rendezvous and key skills to reach the moon's surface in July 1969 for the first of six landings.

"The intrinsic capabilities of their equipment is a little bit better than what we had during Project Gemini, but their accomplishments have been at about that level," said Griffin. "When you have a chance to interact with Chinese engineers and scientists it's abundantly clear they need take a back seat to no one."

China has about 200,000 people working on its space program, about three times the number in the United States, the space agency chief told lawmakers. At the same time, China's economic prowess is about twice that of America's in the early 1960s, when President Kennedy committed the United States to reaching the moon before its Cold War rival, the former Soviet Union, did.

By MARK CARREAU Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

As apposed NASA’s 18,000 workers, and if estimates are correct NASA will lose another 6,000 – 9,000 job once the Shuttle program ends. And although we have to pay for our labor the Chinese can just take it, quite the cost savings if you get my drift.

Not a good prospect no matter how you look at it.

They did what??? -- You make many very strong accusations about Mr. Cook. If you knew about any of these actions or inactions, did you do anything about it?

I did. I put in writing. I went to the IG. I was creamed for it. I acted with honor and protected people as I could from things gross and wrong (I will not discuss them On this blog). About 1300 people may be unemployed in the next few months thanks to his actions/inactions.

Wayne, so what if Americans buy trinkets from China and China spends the money on a space program. Freedom to do what you want (including kill yourself in the privacy of your well appointed living room) is the American Dream.

That prospect may not be good to you, but it is good to the willing participants.

It reminds me of the nobles of Rome paying their enemies to stay away. That worked until either they ran out of money, or the enemies wanted more than money.. or both. The wave of life continues.

@Rocky, Wayne

Griffin also compared Constellation's original requirements to Gemini, saying that all we needed to do was develop a LEO spacecraft that had rendezvous and docking capabilities, and that we knew how to do that a long time ago, so he proceeded to say we could have Orion flying within 5 years.

That was in 2004.

Nearly ten billion dollars and five years later, we have nothing to show for our efforts except the Augustine Commission.

In fact the Augustine Commission thought we might be able to get that piece of the job done in another eight to ten years.

I have no doubt that the US still has the technical capability, but what has been missing was leadership, management and good judgement.

Space --They Did What -- "You make many very strong accusations about Mr. Cook. If you knew about any of these actions or inactions, did you do anything about it? Did you report them? If you did -- bravo."

Everything that "They Did What???" claims is completely accurate and was reported to the Inpsector General two years ago. Soon after the investigation was completed, many of those who had reported the "bad things" were no longer part of the Ares Team, further validating "...He turned a blind eye to people being punished for NOT doing the wrong thing."
Posted by: No Planks Here at August 29, 2009 12:33 PM

++++++++++++++++++++++

Whether you are NASA or a contractor, don't fall for the 'No Fear' messages that are manadatory training every year.

You have everything to fear.

If you speak up you will be marked, they will blacklist you, and they will drum you out just as quickly as they are able. If you are a contractor this is easier for them to do and not only your career will be in jeopardy, but they will come after your people and your company too.

The NASA IG, the Legal Office, Business Management and Personnel all work for the management that is in place and their job is to protect management; they are not there to protect the American people, or the rank and file workers, and they are not there to make sure management abides by the law.

In the military we had to go through very specific criteria in order to be certified, whether for positions or awards or promotions. This is not how NASA operates; in NASA if you kiss the ass of someone with rank and authority, then you too can get ahead. And this explains how a bunch of people who had no track record of success could have been put into positions of responsibility in Constellation.

We all lost.

Perhaps General Bolden can use his knowledge of military processes to overcome the bureaucracy that NASA has become. If he follows his predecessors examples, then it will just be same old - same old and nothing will change for the better.

In the meantime you can go to someone outside of NASA to complain, or go to NASAWatch where at least you know you will have an audience and you can be assured the right people are seeing the message.

They did what??? -- I owe you an apology. Looks like I was overzealous in my earlier remarks.

Sounds like you did the right thing, and should be commended. It took a lot of courage to speak up, and try to report wrong doings as you saw them.

I have respect for folks like you who stand their ground in spite of the possible consequences. My hat is off to you if the attempt was made to provide factual information to the powers that be.

@sc220
"And very sadly, Cook is only a poster child for incompetent management in HSF -- run checks on some of the other current HSF managers and see what you find. It won't be pretty."

Yes, but reminds me of a post from "gman" on the Wayne Hale video thread:

"I interviewed a couple weeks ago with the head of ‘program control’ and one of the questions he asked was whether, if he directed me to do something that was not in accordance with NASA or program requirements or regulations, would I follow his direction ?

In my experience – and I have considerable experience in program control (likely more than this guy does) – the manager who oversees program control is the most insistent that program policies, regulations and requirements are followed, or if they’re somehow not suitable, that a CR or waiver or some aspect of due process is followed-that is that offices role. He is the keeper of the process."

http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2009/02/todays_video_yo.html

It's apparently not all incompetence, some know exactly what they're doing (or not doing)!