It was refreshing to read a remarkably candid email published today and written last month by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator Mike Griffin. Unlike the usual reciting of the Administration position, the space agency chief complained about the White House plan "for the U.S. to adopt a policy of deliberate dependence on another power to access the ISS (International Space Station)." He talked about Washington's “jihad” to shut down the space shuttle, expressed frustration at the lack of funding for a new moon rocket — and despaired about the future of America’s human-spaceflight program.
"The tone of the note depicts a man watching as his finely crafted plans for a revitalized space-faring NASA appear to be melting before his eyes," reported the Orlando Sentinel, which published the full-text of the leaked email. “My own view is about as pessimistic as it is possible to be,” Griffin wrote.
Griffin’s harshest words were reserved for his bosses in the White House: the Office of Management and Budget, which sets spending goals, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, which advises the president, the Sentinel stated. He was just one step shy of calling the decision making process irrational. His exact quote is that "the rational approach didn’t happen."
The email is even more remarkable because Griffin has strongly supported the White House position in all public presentations. He was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the Senate.
NASA on Friday confirmed the authenticity of the email. Griffin quickly issued a retraction: “The leaked internal e-mail fails to provide the contextual framework for my remarks, and my support for the administration’s policies,” he said in a statement to the Sentinel.
Subscribe by Email
