Andrew Gray wrote:

In article , jeff findley wrote:

Barbara Morgan isn't an idiot. She's also a NASA astronaut, an actual
Mission Specialist. Unless you want to ban all Mission Specialists
from flying on the shuttle, you'd better re-think your statement.

More to the point, if memory serves she was already assigned to a
mission, sometime last year...

[dig, dig]

STS-118, ISS cargo & assembly flight, assignment made about the same
time (IIRC) they launched the new "Educator Astronaut" program. At time
of assignation, it was due to fly in 2004; current schedule has it
tentatively in mid-2005 (so even if it slips, it'll probably still be in
the next two years).


Yes, the next flight of Columbia wasn't it?

This thread was in response to what appeared to be a "Trial Balloon" sent
up by what appeared to be the Shuttle Program Office. You know leak out
some tentative plans to the media and see how well it floats.

The "Trial Balloon" seemed ok, it's just the payload hanging under the
balloon that's giving off a rather foul stench. Kind of reeks of a payoff
to Sean O'Keefe and the CAIB for a rather favorable report, when compared
to "The Dead Men Orbiting" scenario that the Shuttle Program Office let
"play out" to it's disastrous end. Not really just letting it play out, but
actively working at making it "play out" by working very hard on "Plausible
Deniability" instead of a fix for the Orbiter's wing. Essentially, a reward
for accepting the "Plausible Deniability" act put on by the Shuttle Program
Office and blaming "NASA Culture". Is Ron Dittimore still roaming the halls
of Building 1, spreading his influence on the Shuttle Program?


quote

The opportunity also exists - so far in only low-level discussions - to
include a nonprofessional crewmember who would symbolize NASA's commitment
to flight safety. Various suggestions, ranging from NASA Administrator Sean

O'Keefe himself, to a member of the Gehman Commission that recently issued
its final accident report, have been heard, but the informal proposal has
not reached a serious level.

end quote

It's kind of ironic that this "Trial Balloon" is essentially the same PR
stunt that gave Christa McAuliffe her seat on Challenger, and Barbara
Morgan hers on some future flight. Something that NASA said it wasn't going
to do anymore, so they forced (well maybe not forced) Barbara Morgan to
join the astronaut corps before they would consider honoring their
agreement with her.

This was my feeble attempt at putting the original payload back on the
"Trial Balloon", something that should have been done a long time ago. And,
since it's impossible for Barbara Morgan to fly on the next flight of
Columbia, the next flight of Shuttle would be just as good. Or, even
better, as the next Shuttle flight will be the safest in the years to come.
Everything will be checked twice (probably more), and everyone will be on
their toes working hard to make it the safest, with the memory of Columbia
fresh on their minds. As the flights rate pick up and memories fade, the
slippery slope only gets steeper.

If Sean O'Keefe or the CAIB needs to be rewarded for their good work, it
should be on the last flight of the Shuttle Program, not the next. A last
flight that is made by choice, not by circumstance.

Barbara Morgan in 2004!!!!

Craig Fink