With NASA under control, Obama has to now seize the opportunity
The Columbia disaster in 2003 (which also killed India-born astronaut Kalpana Chawla) was indeed the eye opener they needed, if at all they needed one. Post this incident, the then President George W. Bush suggested the use of Apollo like capsules and rockets (the program known as Constellation) instead of orbiter fleet for further space programs. Furthermore, his vision was to resend a man to the Moon by 2020 and then a man on Mars.
During his election campaign, even Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to this vision and further stressed on cumulative support for aeronautics and earth sciences. After assuming office, he enunciated, “We need to restore that sense of excitement and interest that existed around the space program,” (referring to the Cold War days). But a coordinated and definitive vision is still not outlined.
Obama has his own reasons. NASA requires $18 billion annually. The Constellation as advocated by Bush has to deal with technical hazards and an oversized budget. The program cannot be made operational right now; the expected delay is around three years. Also, Obama has to fight his way to be able to implement his own policies regarding NASA.
Before he took oath, Obama’s transition team went into loggerheads with the then NASA administrator Mike Griffin. Griffin did not cooperate with Lori Garver (head of the Space transition team). To protect the Constellation program, Griffin went to the extent of calling NASA vendors and asked them to openly support Constellation to the Obama team.
In July, Obama was successful in ousting Griffin and in placing Charles Frank Bolden, a retired Marine Corps Major General, to the position of new administrator of NASA. It is now imperative for the duo to bring out an objective vision plan and work on execution.
The Columbia disaster in 2003 (which also killed India-born astronaut Kalpana Chawla) was indeed the eye opener they needed, if at all they needed one. Post this incident, the then President George W. Bush suggested the use of Apollo like capsules and rockets (the program known as Constellation) instead of orbiter fleet for further space programs. Furthermore, his vision was to resend a man to the Moon by 2020 and then a man on Mars.
During his election campaign, even Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to this vision and further stressed on cumulative support for aeronautics and earth sciences. After assuming office, he enunciated, “We need to restore that sense of excitement and interest that existed around the space program,” (referring to the Cold War days). But a coordinated and definitive vision is still not outlined.
Obama has his own reasons. NASA requires $18 billion annually. The Constellation as advocated by Bush has to deal with technical hazards and an oversized budget. The program cannot be made operational right now; the expected delay is around three years. Also, Obama has to fight his way to be able to implement his own policies regarding NASA.
Before he took oath, Obama’s transition team went into loggerheads with the then NASA administrator Mike Griffin. Griffin did not cooperate with Lori Garver (head of the Space transition team). To protect the Constellation program, Griffin went to the extent of calling NASA vendors and asked them to openly support Constellation to the Obama team.
In July, Obama was successful in ousting Griffin and in placing Charles Frank Bolden, a retired Marine Corps Major General, to the position of new administrator of NASA. It is now imperative for the duo to bring out an objective vision plan and work on execution.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)
