NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Takes the Blame

I met Charles Bolden nearly 25 years ago when he was an astronaut. He spoke at a small seminar and I had the opportunity afterwards to briefly talk to him and get his autograph on the seminar program. I recall lamenting that I was born a bit too soon to take part in flying to space and he nailed me with the comment that it was not too late. See, the truth was, I wasn’t driven with the desire and passion and sacrifice that he was.

It interested me that he obviously continued with the hard work and drive to be appointed by President Obama as NASA Administrator. I hope he was not made the sacrificial lamb. Obama just made some drastic changes in NASA’s mission, and the spaceflight team is reeling in shock. The shuttles are soon to be retired, and new launch vehicles and a return flight to the moon are canceled. Morale at NASA, at least for the spaceflight folks, has got to be in the basement. It will take a few years for the NASA employees to be highly motivated again, unless Bolden is a really good leader—if he lasts that long.