Sean O'Keefe's successor will have tough task paying for everything on agency's plate
The unexpected resignation of NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe leaves his successor with the challenges of returning the Space Shuttle to flight, completing assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), launching the space exploration initiative and repairing the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) - all within tight budget constraints.
After three years as administrator, O'Keefe resigned on 13 December to apply for a higher-paying job as the chancellor of Louisiana State University. He will stay on until a successor has been confirmed by Congress, hoped for by February.
O'Keefe's achievements as administrator are generally viewed positively, although his efforts to bring NASA's costs under control were derailed by the Shuttle Columbia accident in February 2003. He secured the agency's biggest budget increase in years last month when Congress approved almost all of the $16.2 billion requested.
Despite the 5% increase in funding, O'Keefe's successor faces a tough task paying for everything on NASA's plate. The agency's first priority is to return the Shuttle to flight safely, and spiralling costs are putting pressure on other projects. As a result, the final configuration of the ISS and the number of Shuttle flights required to complete assembly are again under review (Flight International, 16-22 November).
Citing safety concerns, O'Keefe has barred the possibility of a Shuttle flight to repair the Hubble and directed NASA to pursue a robotic servicing mission, but criticism of his decision is mounting as the estimated cost escalates towards $2 billion. His successor is expected to come under pressure to reverse the decision after a National Academy of Sciences report concluded a Shuttle servicing mission could be quicker, cheaper and carry no more risk than a flight to the ISS.
The report concluded "a Shuttle astronaut servicing mission is the best option for extending the life of Hubble and preparing the observatory for eventual robotic de-orbit". The six-month study also found the difference in risk between a Shuttle mission to the ISS - "already accepted by NASA and the nation" - and a servicing mission to the HST to be "very small", and the value of a Shuttle-serviced Hubble to be "worth the risk".
The committee assessing options for extending the HST's life expects science operations to end in 2007 due to gyroscope failure, but says the robotic mission will not be ready for launch until 2010, resulting in a 29-month interruption in observations. The report suggests a Shuttle HST servicing mission could be launched as early as the seventh mission after return to flight.
Shuttle return on course despite repair kit hitch
NASA admits it is unlikely to have certificated on-orbit repair techniques for thermal-protection system damage before the Shuttle's return to flight, but does not believe this will delay the launch, writes Tim Furniss. The agency plans to test repair techniques on orbit during the STS-114/Discovery mission, but does not believe the crew will have the capability to repair actual damage. An ability to repair large holes or cracks like that which downed Columbia could be years away, NASA says.
A putty-like caulk filler mix developed to repair silica tiles has been found to form gas bubbles in a vacuum, reducing its effectiveness, and development of an overwrap to cover a hole in the reinforced carbon-carbon wing leading-edge has fallen behind. There are also concerns about the wrap's adhesive integrity during re-entry.
GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
