Following the last month's reassignment of Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley, NASA today said acting program manager Dale Thomas has been appointed to the role full-time. Charles Stegemoeller was appointed to serve as deputy program manager, filling the job Thomas previously held.
Read the NASA press release here.
Constellation's future is uncertain. It would be cancelled by President Obama's proposed 2011 budget, but at least some elements, including the Orion spacecraft, are expected to survive.
Hanley was outspoken in support of the program he led for five years, which planned to fly astronauts to the moon on Ares I rockets and Orion.
Leaders of the Senate committee overseeing NASA have asked NASA's inspector general to investigate whether Hanley's reassignment was tied to that outspokenness, and whether it was part of an effort by NASA to make it harder for Congress to continue supporting Constellation. Read the letter here.
NASA can't shut down Constellation without congressional approval.
5 comments:
Whats this a promotion to kill off the program you were named to head? I suspect this guy is a Bolden guy and will do as he is told.
Um, isn't that kind of like Enron naming a new CEO?
Just another line toeing butt kisser.
I'm done trying to figure this whole mess out. James Fletcher must be turning in his grave.
Why is it that the contractor workforce is the only ones to lose jobs when the Shuttle is retired and/or Constellation program restructured ?
With less work for all, why is NASA not having to cut back one worker. It always the contactors who suffer ? even the CO-OPs will have their NASA job, but not the high skilled hands-on tech or the engineer with a degree. We are all a team.. so trim equally and fairly..
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