Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: NASA's next adminstrator is...
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 04:15:34 GMT

In article <91eltr$3cb$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,  <spacecadet@startrekmail.com> wrote:
>Very interesting reading, most of the people nominated I don't know much
>about.

Actually, the first question is whether there will *be* a new Administrator.
Goldin was appointed by Dubya's dad, not by Clinton.  (He kept the job after
the White House changed hands because nobody else wanted it.)  He could
easily be considered the leading candidate, although he may be getting tired
of it.

>But I would be curious if Mr. Oberg or Mr. Hudson would take the job if
>they were offered the position? Any comments gentlemen?

When contemplating such fantasies, it is very important to specify the job
description in a bit more detail.  I can easily think of people who might
take the job if they were given a free hand to make real reforms -- which
would mean a certain amount of slash-and-burn for starters -- but would be
very unlikely to take the standard job with the standard constraints.

>What would NASA be like under Zubrin's?

Total disaster.  Zubrin is a very bright guy but he is neither a manager
nor a politician, and the NASA Administrator has to be both.  The last
time an Administrator lacked previous serious management experience was
Truly, who distinguished himself by being the first Administrator to foul
up so badly that he was fired.

>And I always wondered, since Congress controls the budget how much power
>or control does an Adminstrator really have?

Quite a bit.  The budget gets set by a tug-of-war between the White House
and Congress, but a competent Administrator has considerable influence on
both, and considerable say in the details of how NASA spends it.
--
When failure is not an option, success  |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
can get expensive.   -- Peter Stibrany  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)

Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: NASA's next adminstrator is...
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 20:32:40 GMT

In article <91iho9$obt$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,  <spacecadet@startrekmail.com> wrote:
>> Goldin was appointed by Dubya's dad, not by Clinton...
>
>Rumor on NASAWatch is that he is leaving

This may be a wish-fulfillment fantasy on the part of NASA Watch, which
is pretty anti-Goldin.

>> When contemplating such fantasies, it is very important to specify the
>> job description in a bit more detail...
>
>Henry, if you were offered the post, as is, would you take it?

No.  Difficult and thankless job, lots of politics both internal and
external, too many constraints.

>If you were offered to have a free hand and make sweeping changes
>what changes would you make?

Above all, break up the internal monopolies and introduce competition.
Get Ames back into the business of flying planetary missions, to shake JPL
out of some of its complacency.  Tell Marshall that if they can do it for
half a billion (total, not annual!), they can build a manned spacecraft
and start competing with JSC's shuttle and X-38; bonus points if they
launch from Wallops rather than the Cape.  Get Lewis/Glenn building an
X-launcher series, to shake up Marshall.  Get somebody (JPL?) other than
Lewis/Glenn into the advanced-propulsion business, with a particular
mandate to look at technologies that Lewis/Glenn has been neglecting.

Do all of this with a strong emphasis on small fast projects, new teams,
and flight tests -- they don't get any points for paper and viewgraphs
churned out by the same old groups at the same old pace.  Heavy use of
small-business set-asides in contracting, too.

Ruthlessly trim headquarters and administrative staff.

Maybe hire a bodyguard or two for the Administrator, because this is going
to make lots of enemies fast. :-)
--
When failure is not an option, success  |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
can get expensive.   -- Peter Stibrany  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)

Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: NASA's next adminstrator is...
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 13:19:50 GMT

In article <3A3EFD22.84F72DBF@quebectel.com>,
Remy Villeneuve  <remyv@quebectel.com> wrote:
>You're sure you'd refuse the job?

Quite sure, if it was the "business as usual" job, with no special powers
to clean house.  Real, serious reform is exceedingly difficult under those
constraints.

(Actually, I'd think seriously about refusing even with a modest increase
in powers.  I don't have big-organization management experience, and past
history indicates that it does matter.)
--
When failure is not an option, success  |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
can get expensive.   -- Peter Stibrany  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)