Fri, Dec 17, 2004
Society Lauds Outgoing NASA Director
The executive director of the
National Space Society, George Whitesides, had this to say about
the announcement of Sean O'Keefe's resignation as NASA
Administrator:
Sean O'Keefe arrived at NASA with a commitment to financial
responsibility, but he leaves the agency with a broader legacy. He
deserves sincere thanks for his compassionate stewardship of the
agency through the Columbia accident and the return of the shuttle
to flight. He deserves serious respect for his leadership in
formulating, staffing and funding the Vision for Space Exploration.
It is clear that NASA's recent budget victory would not have been
possible without Mr. O'Keefe's advocacy; what should be equally
recognized is that the transformation Mr. O'Keefe initiated upon
his arrival was critical to building an environment in which the
president could launch the new vision.
The torch of human exploration of our solar system has been
re-lit. It must now be taken up with equal vigor by Mr. O'Keefe's
successor. The transformation of NASA has only just begun. We must
enable the heroes inside the agency to accomplish the ambitious
goals we share -- building the space station into a vigorous
outpost of human space settlement, sending humans to the Moon and
Mars to stay, and working with the private sector to build a
thriving commercial space infrastructure. With the president,
Congress, and the American people behind NASA, the next
Administrator must be ready to make the choices necessary to make
these goals real.
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