Shuttle Team Leader Dismissed From Discovery Mission, Five Days Before Launch | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.22.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.16.24

Airborne-FlightTraining-04.17.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-04.18.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.19.24

Join Us At 0900ET, Friday, 4/10, for the LIVE Morning Brief.
Watch It LIVE at
www.airborne-live.net

Wed, Jun 28, 2006

Shuttle Team Leader Dismissed From Discovery Mission, Five Days Before Launch

Supported Those Who Voted "No Go" For Saturday's Flight

In the latest development regarding the apparent rift between NASA management and safety advocates concerning Saturday's planned launch of the space shuttle Discovery, ANN learned Tuesday that Chief Engineer -- and recent astronaut -- Charles Camarda has been removed from his post as head of the mission management team (MMT).

Camarda says it's all about his objections to launching STS-121 on Saturday, in spite of lingering concerns over foam delamination -- the kind of trouble that led to the Columbia tragedy in 2003.

The Houston Chronicle said Camarda now reports to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center in Houston.

We're getting differing stories about whether Camarda asked to be reassigned... or was relieved of duty. But in an email to his employees -- obtained by an organization called Collect Space -- Camarda says he just can't accept the way NASA chooses future leaders.

"I have always based my decisions on facts, data and good solid analysis," Camarda wrote. "I cannot be a party to rumor, innuendo, gossip and/or manipulation to make or break someone's career and/or good name. I refused to abandon my position on the MMT and asked that if I would not be allowed to work this mission that I would have to be fired from my position and I was."

Camarda added that in the wake of his objections over safety concerns about the upcoming mission, he refused to step down from the shuttle project and said... if NASA wanted him off STS-121... the agency would have to fire him.

You may remember Camarda from last year's Return to Flight mission. He was a mission specialist aboard Discovery.

Meantime, NASA officials and astronauts both past and present say... they understand and accept the risks of flying with known foam issues. They say they're better equipped to deal with them... in spite of an internal NASA document that says there's a one-in-66 chance of a catastrophe should the foam issues remain.

FMI: www.nasa.gov

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.25.24): Airport Rotating Beacon

Airport Rotating Beacon A visual NAVAID operated at many airports. At civil airports, alternating white and green flashes indicate the location of the airport. At military airports>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.25.24)

Aero Linx: Fly for the Culture Fly For the Culture, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves young people interested in pursuing professions in the aviation industry>[...]

Klyde Morris (04.22.24)

Klyde Is Having Some Issues Comprehending The Fed's Priorities FMI: www.klydemorris.com>[...]

Airborne 04.24.24: INTEGRAL E, Elixir USA, M700 RVSM

Also: Viasat-uAvionix, UL94 Fuel Investigation, AF Materiel Command, NTSB Safety Alert Norges Luftsportforbund chose Aura Aero's little 2-seater in electric trim for their next gli>[...]

Airborne 04.22.24: Rotor X Worsens, Airport Fees 4 FNB?, USMC Drone Pilot

Also: EP Systems' Battery, Boeing SAF, Repeat TBM 960 Order, Japan Coast Guard H225 Buy Despite nearly 100 complaints totaling millions of dollars of potential fraud, combined with>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC