Msl Highlights Nasa's Cost Control Problems

摘要

Your Nov. 10 issue [page 14] contained a le'tter by NASA God-dard Space Flight Center's chief scientist, Dr. Jim Garvin, which contained serious documentable errors which require response. I enumerate those errors here: Dr. Garvin claims that the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project's Cost to Go review team, chartered by the Science Mission -Directorate, was not disbanded. In point of fact it was disbanded by my superiors, over my objection and the objection of my deputy for flight projects. Although the Cost to Go review panel's chair and one other member were then invited to join the MSL project's Standing Review Board, neither agreed, citing the gutting of their review panel and their authority. Dr. Garvin's Or-wellian use of the word "consolidated" in describing this maneuver by the NASA associate administrator, who was intent on removing a committee whose results neither the Jet Propulsion Laboratory nor NASA senior management wanted to hear (ironically, despite its on-target assessment of how fiscal year 2008 and early fiscal year 2009 would unfold for MSL), is telling.