NASA to reshuffle priorities

WASHINGTON – A week after a presidential commission called for changes at NASA, the agency’s administrator announced a restructuring.

NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe acknowledged that the transformation isn’t as exciting as a Mars rover landing, but is necessary nonetheless.

“This is three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust stuff,” said O’Keefe, using one of his favorite football metaphors to describe something that moves slowly and is difficult to see.

No jobs will be lost and the reorganization won’t cost or save NASA any money in the near term, O’Keefe said at a headquarters briefing with reporters.

He said the changes are partly a response to the findings of the President’s Commission on Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy.

The panel reported last week that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration isn’t “wired for success” to carry out Bush’s ambitious vision for creating new spaceships and sending the next generation of astronauts to the moon and Mars.

The changes take effect Aug. 1, and O’Keefe said he will visit NASA offices to discuss them.

“This transformation will be an evolutionary process, exploring new ways to move forward and implement change,” he said. “Doing so will enable us to take the next bold steps into space and rekindle the innovation and entrepreneurial skills that is our legacy to humankind.”

In its report, the commission said the agency needs to transform itself into a leaner, more focused agency.

The change creates several so-called mission directorates including:

• Aeronautics research, to study and develop aeronautical technologies for safe, reliable and efficient aviation systems.

• Science, to carry out the exploration of the Earth, Moon, Mars and beyond; chart the best route of discovery; and continue Earth and space exploration. This combines research on the Earth and other planets.

• Exploration systems, to develop capabilities and supporting research and technology that enable sustained and affordable human and robotic exploration in space. It includes the biological and physical research necessary to ensure the health and safety of crews during long duration space flight.

• Space operations, to direct space flight operations, space launches and space communications.

There will be two agency-wide priorities under a Safety and Mission Assurance Office and an Education Office.

The agency said its headquarters and field offices will be aligned to improve communications and responsibility.

One change sure to cause some grousing within NASA’s science community is the elimination of the directorate devoted solely to earth science.

That discipline will now fall under the overall science heading, but that does not mean NASA is abandoning its commitment to earth-science research, O’Keefe said.