When Mike Griffin became NASA administrator I was one of those people who was really enthusiastic about his selection. I thought previous administrator Sean O'Keefe did a good job with what he was tasked to do and now with the new "Vision for Space Exploration" starting, having Griffin onboard, a seasoned engineer, was a good choice. But lately I've been wondering like so many people what's going on at NASA.
There are a lot of mixed signals out there. Griffin is hard at work implementing the Vision, as he sees it. And that's where the problems seem to be starting. In reading NASA Watch, run by my SpaceRef business partner, and his recent post "Rollout Plan for Griffin's Architecture Stumbles", you have to wonder if there is a disconnect between Griffin and the White House.
Which brings to me Mars. As some of you know I co-founded the Mars Institute, so I have a strong interest in the continuing exploration of Mars. With the Vision focusing mostly on the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and the moon, and ongoing rumors that future robotic Mars missions are in jeopardy, I'm very concerned. The Mars Telecom Orbiter has been cancelled and a Mars sample return mission has been pushed back indefinitely. It's a shame really as we've had some great success with Mars missions the last few years and are learning a lot.
Getting the CEV designed, developed and launched is one of the top priorities for Griffin and I support a next generation vehicle, it's long overdue. But the budget is tight and more money does not seem forthcoming, so how many of NASA's other great programs are going to be gutted by this?
And I have to wonder what will happen with the Mars exploration program if the Vision continues to develop slowly to the point that there's too much uncertainty going into the next Presidential election and what that would mean.