Griffin kills industry RFP for CEV Systems Engineering & Integration

After examining many options, we have formed a policy on institutional support of systems engineering and integration in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate portfolio, which underscores the importance of reinforcing the Government's internal systems engineering competency. Accordingly, NASA has concluded that Government personnel at Headquarters and NASA Centers will implement systems engineering and integration in Constellation Systems and other areas of the Exploration program. Consequently, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate will not be releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an Industry systems engineering and integration contractor.

Editor's Note: Griffin wants certain aspects of the CEV implementation to be done in-house.

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NASA to Accelerate Plans for Shuttle's Replacement

NASA will accelerate development efforts for a new manned spacecraft that will follow the retirement of the agency’s shuttle fleet, a top spaceflight official told U.S. Senate subcommittee today.

NASA’s three remaining space shuttles are slated for retirement by 2013 following the completion of the International Space Station (ISS). A new spacecraft – the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) – has been tapped as its replacement, but is not expected to fly its first human-carrying mission until at least 2017.

+ Full Story (Space.com)

New NASA chief backs plans to land humans on Mars

NASA's new administrator, Michael Griffin, faced the press today for the first time since being confirmed by the Senate last week and vigorously defended the Bush administration's ambitious plan to send human beings to the moon and Mars.

"We could probably go to Mars for what we spent on Apollo" in today's dollars, he said.

"It is a journey, not a race," Griffin said. If the country put aside "a few billion a year," the Mars plan would be "very affordable."

+ Full Story (The Seattle Times)

Michael Griffin's First News Conference

New NASA Administrator Mike Griffin held his first news conference today. Focus is on Return to Flight, but also "hitting the ground sprinting" and accellerating the CEV from its first crew flight in 2017. To say I'm very excited that this man is heading our space agency would be somewhat of an understatement. I think he is the perfect man for the job. On a personal note, the fact that he mentioned his study with the Planetary Society (I'm a longtime activist with that organization & others), was a "touchdown" moment.

+ Watch Video (C-Span)
+ New NASA chief underscores need for shuttle safety (Houston Chronicle)
+ Michael Griffin Takes Helm as NASA Administrator (NASA)

NASA Transformation White Paper

NASA, as a world-class organization, is committed to sustaining high performance by continually adapting to its environment in order to achieve mission objectives. Changing business practices to achieve the intent of the President's Management Agenda, and addressing through a variety of means the technical, cultural and organizational factors that contributed to the Columbia accident serve as examples of this openness to change to ensure mission success.

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What a Little Moon Dust Can Do

If the Bush administration's plan to set up a base on the moon is to become a reality, scientists will first have to devise a way to deal with a tiny but ubiquitous enemy: lunar dust.

Lunar dust is extremely abrasive -- and unavoidable -- as astronauts quickly learned during the Apollo missions of the 1960s and '70s. Within hours, the dust covered the astronauts' spacesuits and equipment, scratching lenses and corroding seals.

+ Read Article (Wired News)