NASA Task Force Recommends Radical Changes

darrellsilver writes: "As reported at the nytimes (free reg, etc) here and msnbc here, an independant task force initiated in July by the now resigning Dan Goldin concluded this week that "radical changes" need to be put into place if the space station is to continue functioning. The full report in PDF format is available from NASA here." We've reported on this before but we didn't have a link to the report itself. Budgetary woes have already taken their toll on the station and this report is recommending even more cuts.

Get full report here

[m_evanchik]

As usual the really good stuff is in the appendix, which is available here:
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/reports/2001/imce_ ap pdx.pdf

What cutbacks?

[wronkiew]

The report detailed a plan to maximize the research capability of the station while keeping down costs. So far NASA has not shown the ability to hold down total program costs. This report addresses that in a way that does not endanger the construction of the station. "Core complete" is not the intended final configuration. It is proposed as a milestone. When NASA demonstrates competency at managing project costs, they get more toys, and a station crew of seven.

The idea of using visiting crews to supplement the station crew is brilliant. I only hope that NASA takes this advice seriously.

The report also made the point that cutting more hardware will do little to reduce the cost. The proposed solution is to cut support personnel, which of course NASA will fight tooth and nail.

Re:It may just be me but....

[Heph_Smith]

Well, "folks" like me understand that just because its not labeled "NASA" that it can come from technology developed in space programs. I will not cut and paste tons of data that can be easily found elsewhere to people who look, but you can take a look at this url to educate yourself:
http://www.seds.org/technology/index.shtml
I'm sure you can find many more examples.

So in other words, if you "pay attention to" more than just ISS (its sexy? phallic maybe....) you will see my point.

btw, you sure got a mod point quick after posting.

Anal Retentive Engineering - New Scientist

[geoffwa]

A little while back New Scientist, 14th July 2001, had a great article on all the little engineering hickups that were plaguing the ISS.

Props go to New Scientist for excellent journalism, and me for subsequently stealing it (subliminal message: subscribe! subscribe!)

Problems with the space station are: <riff>

• Incompatible electrical supplies between the Russian and American modules
• Russian and American water supplies cannot be mixed. Russians used silver ions to preserve water, Americans use iodine, mix and you get silver iodide which clogs any/all filters/valves.
• The crew couldn't get to an air-circulation fan to fix it due to a large piece of "substrucutre". Out comes the impact driver... which solves the problem... sort of.
• Lack of tools. Stuff like vice grips are being used to hold together temporary odds and ends as well as tightening and loosening things.
• "Crew Squawk" program, designed to report when systems aren't working, isn't working. =(
• 3-page procedure for putting a maintenance panel back on is on the back side of said maintenance panel.

Other problems have been:

• Crew are using hair shampoo for all personal hygene, since it's hard to grip bar soap in weightlessness. Supply issues resulted since NASA wouldn't send more shampoo.
• Velcro strips are also food traps, very difficult to clean.
• The US-made Kapton tape has been abandoned in favour of the Russian "gray" tape, which upsets the ground control crew because it leaves a residue.
• The station's inventory manglement system both doesn't function, and doesn't work. Several hours a day is wasted chasing down equipment.
• Printer for said inventory manglement system fails on a regular basis.
  
  Fortunately most of these problems have been ironed out. The whole thing reads like a Dilbert cartoon. Just goes to show that money doesn't solve everything. Said article appeared in the July 14 edition of New Scientist and was written by James Oberg.
  
  Best quote is from ex-ISS Commander Bill Shepherd:

  "We need to get a handle on the anal-retentive engineering approach to everything."

  Fortunately the crew left the station on the 18th of March.
  
  (PS - subscribe to New Scientist - the Women's Weekly for geeks(TM))

Re:About Time!

[JThaddeus]

Amen! I've worked all sorts of DoD projects and I've worked at NASA. IMHO, while DoD might waste more dollars (they have more to waste), NASA wastes a far greater proportion of their budget than DoD can even imagine.

I did analysis and wrote software for various budget systems in the NASA headquarters group responsible for earth observation and global climate change. I saw millions of dollars thrown away on redundant studies whose apparent sole purpose was to fund obscure pet projects and university pals. In many cases, the NASA "scientist" has no bloody idea what the money was going towards. I recall trying to track down the recipient of a multi-year grant who hadn't been at his university in two years. The NASA "scientist" responsible had continued to sign checks on this account although even she didn't know how to reach the guy and had never tried do to so since awarding him the grant. We never did found him during my tenure.

From what I saw, NASA is largely a bunch of bloody imbeciles passing out welfare dollars to washed up scientists. I'm amazed that anything they touch works.