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NASA’s Deputy Administrator Is Leaving Agency NASA’s Deputy Administrator Is Leaving Agency
(about 5 hours later)
As lawmakers in Washington continue to wrangle over NASA’s financing and expeditions, a top administrator at the agency who played a large role in drafting the Obama administration’s controversial space policies is bowing out.As lawmakers in Washington continue to wrangle over NASA’s financing and expeditions, a top administrator at the agency who played a large role in drafting the Obama administration’s controversial space policies is bowing out.
Lori B. Garver, NASA’s deputy administrator for the past four years, will leave next month to take the top staff position at the Air Line Pilots Association, a union representing 50,000 pilots in the United States and Canada.Lori B. Garver, NASA’s deputy administrator for the past four years, will leave next month to take the top staff position at the Air Line Pilots Association, a union representing 50,000 pilots in the United States and Canada.
“It’s time to take on new challenges,” Ms. Garver said in an interview Tuesday. “I feel like I’ve accomplished so many of the objectives I set out to do here.” “It’s time to take on new challenges,” Ms. Garver said in an interview on Tuesday. “I feel like I’ve accomplished so many of the objectives I set out to do here.”
Ms. Garver, 52, who works at NASA headquarters in Washington, was often the public face — and lightning rod for criticism — of the Obama administration’s efforts to push NASA in new directions. The White House wanted to cancel the program started under President George W. Bush to send astronauts back to the moon, and scale back the agency’s role in designing rockets and spacecraft.Ms. Garver, 52, who works at NASA headquarters in Washington, was often the public face — and lightning rod for criticism — of the Obama administration’s efforts to push NASA in new directions. The White House wanted to cancel the program started under President George W. Bush to send astronauts back to the moon, and scale back the agency’s role in designing rockets and spacecraft.
Ms. Garver, who previously worked both inside and outside of NASA, served as an adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. She switched to Mr. Obama’s team after he won the nomination, and following the election played a key role on the transition team for shaping NASA policy. In July 2009, the Senate confirmed Ms. Garver’s appointment as NASA deputy administrator. Ms. Garver, who previously worked both inside and outside of NASA, served as an adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. She switched to Mr. Obama’s team after he won the nomination, and following the election she played a central role on the transition team for shaping NASA policy. In July 2009, the Senate confirmed Ms. Garver’s appointment as NASA deputy administrator.
“She has been an indispensable partner in our efforts to keep NASA on a trajectory of progress and innovation,” NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. wrote in an e-mail to NASA employees. “In a time of great change and challenge, she has been a remarkable leader who has consistently shown great vision and commitment to NASA and the aerospace industry.” “She has been an indispensable partner in our efforts to keep NASA on a trajectory of progress and innovation,” the NASA administrator, Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., wrote in an e-mail to NASA employees. “In a time of great change and challenge, she has been a remarkable leader who has consistently shown great vision and commitment to NASA and the aerospace industry.”
Ms. Garver advocated a greater for role for “New Space” — the involvement of entrepreneurial companies, which many space advocates believe are more nimble and efficient than aerospace titans like Boeing and Lockheed Martin that NASA has traditionally relied on. Ms. Garver advocated a greater for role for “New Space” — the involvement of entrepreneurial companies, which many space advocates say they believe are more nimble and efficient than aerospace titans like Boeing and Lockheed Martin that NASA has traditionally relied on.
“The main goal was really to align NASA in a way that allowed them to be more sustainable and innovative in the 21st century,” she said.“The main goal was really to align NASA in a way that allowed them to be more sustainable and innovative in the 21st century,” she said.
However, some of the proposals received a cool, sometimes hostile, reception in Washington. Members of Congress of both parties complained that the plans often did not seem fully thought out, and that the administration did a poor job of explaining — to the agency, lawmakers, contractors and the general public — NASA’s new mission. However, some of the proposals received a cool, sometimes hostile, reception in Washington. Members of Congress in both parties complained that the plans often did not seem fully thought out, and that the administration did a poor job of explaining — to the agency, lawmakers, contractors and the general public — NASA’s new mission.
In its 2011 budget proposal, the Obama administration sought to cancel the moon program and take a five-year hiatus on any development of rockets or spacecraft capable of taking astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to more distant destinations like the moon, asteroids or Mars. Ms. Garver and other NASA officials argued that devoting the rocket money to more fundamental space technologies would actually speed future human exploration of the solar system.In its 2011 budget proposal, the Obama administration sought to cancel the moon program and take a five-year hiatus on any development of rockets or spacecraft capable of taking astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to more distant destinations like the moon, asteroids or Mars. Ms. Garver and other NASA officials argued that devoting the rocket money to more fundamental space technologies would actually speed future human exploration of the solar system.
Both Democrats and Republicans were unconvinced and directed NASA to build a huge new rocket, now known as the Space Launch System, and a capsule, known as Orion, where astronauts would live during their excursions into deep space. The first manned flight is scheduled for 2021, but so far, no consensus has emerged on where the new spacecraft should take NASA astronauts. Both Democrats and Republicans were unconvinced and directed NASA to build a huge new rocket, now known as the Space Launch System, and a capsule, known as Orion, where astronauts would live during their excursions into deep space. The first flight with humans is scheduled for 2021, but so far, no consensus has emerged on where the new spacecraft should take NASA astronauts.
“One of the legacies has been the decline and deterioration of relationships between the White House and Congress over the direction of space policy,” said Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University and a space adviser to the 2012 Republican presidental candidate Mitt Romney. “She was part of it. I don’t put sole blame on her. She was one of the more visible faces of that.” “One of the legacies has been the decline and deterioration of relationships between the White House and Congress over the direction of space policy,” said Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University and a space adviser to the 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. “She was part of it. I don’t put sole blame on her. She was one of the more visible faces of that.”
However, the administration did achieve several of its other goals, including turning to the private sector to provide transportation for astronauts going to and from the International Space Station. In the past, NASA designed and operated its spacecraft like the space shuttle, and it was a major cultural change within the agency to rely more on outsiders.However, the administration did achieve several of its other goals, including turning to the private sector to provide transportation for astronauts going to and from the International Space Station. In the past, NASA designed and operated its spacecraft like the space shuttle, and it was a major cultural change within the agency to rely more on outsiders.
“It was critical to reduce the cost of getting to and from space,” Ms. Garver said. The effort, known as commercial crew, has NASA financing efforts by three commerical companies — Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Sierra Nevada Corp. — and she said it is “clearly a goal that is now well, well established on its way.” “It was critical to reduce the cost of getting to and from space,” Ms. Garver said. The effort, known as commercial crew, has NASA financing attempts by three commercial companies — Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation and Sierra Nevada Corporation — and she said it is “clearly a goal that is now well, well established on its way.”
Officials also convinced Congress to provide money for next-generation technologies like new propulsion systems and in-space fueling stations for spacecraft. Officials also persuaded Congress to provide money for next-generation technologies like new propulsion systems and in-space fueling stations for spacecraft.
“I am not embarrassed at all by compromise,” Ms. Garver said. “That is something that this country can probably do a little more of these days.”“I am not embarrassed at all by compromise,” Ms. Garver said. “That is something that this country can probably do a little more of these days.”
During the past few months, Ms. Garver has been advocating a proposal to capture a small asteroid and bring it into orbit around the moon for exploration by astronauts. NASA officials say the effort would have possible important side effects, like advancing ways to find asteroids with the potential to collide with Earth. They also say the robotic spacecraft that would capture the asteroid would demonstrate propulsion and solar cell technology that could later be deployed for a human mission to Mars, and the asteroid would provide an interesting destination for the astronauts on the first Space Launch System mission in 2021.During the past few months, Ms. Garver has been advocating a proposal to capture a small asteroid and bring it into orbit around the moon for exploration by astronauts. NASA officials say the effort would have possible important side effects, like advancing ways to find asteroids with the potential to collide with Earth. They also say the robotic spacecraft that would capture the asteroid would demonstrate propulsion and solar cell technology that could later be deployed for a human mission to Mars, and the asteroid would provide an interesting destination for the astronauts on the first Space Launch System mission in 2021.
That proposal, too, has been met skeptically, with Republicans in the House of Representatives disliking it so much that that they are seeking to explicitly prohibit NASA from pursuing it. They instead would like to revive the moon as the next destination for NASA astronauts. That proposal, too, has been met skeptically, with Republicans in the House of Representatives disliking it so much that they are seeking to explicitly prohibit NASA from pursuing it. They instead would like to revive the moon as the next destination for NASA astronauts.
Ms. Garver expressed some frustration that some in Congress want NASA to build the new rocket, but are not willing to let the space agency figure out how best to use it. “It is disappointing where there is just an unwillingness to look at things on their merit,” she said. “We have put together a mission concept that really does take advantage of the very vehicle that Congress has funded for us to build.”Ms. Garver expressed some frustration that some in Congress want NASA to build the new rocket, but are not willing to let the space agency figure out how best to use it. “It is disappointing where there is just an unwillingness to look at things on their merit,” she said. “We have put together a mission concept that really does take advantage of the very vehicle that Congress has funded for us to build.”