The Space Frontier
Foundation
congratulated President Bush’s nominee for NASA
Administrator, and announced
its tentative support for his reform agenda. Sean O’Keefe,
who has yet to be
confirmed by Congress, comes from the Office of Management
and Budget, and
promises a new, fiscally responsible and more focused
agency.
“Mr. O’Keefe is exactly what NASA needs.” stated Foundation
President Rick
Tumlinson. “NASA has lied and fudged its numbers for so long
that no one
believes them anymore. Given his background, Mr. O’Keefe has
a real chance to
bring some sanity and integrity back to our national space
effort.”
The Foundation was the first civic space group to call for
the resignation of
the last administrator. The group believes the new nominee’s
objective and
analytical style, if combined with honesty and a willingness
to work with
those outside the agency, will lead to a new era in the
opening of the
frontier to the people.
“We want NASA to be a partner with the private sector, not a
competitor, and
get back to its real job of supporting science and
exploration, including
sending humans to Mars,” said Tumlinson. “From what we have
heard, Mr.
O’Keefe may be just the man to straighten out the mess at
NASA and get them
ready to set out on this new course.”
The Foundation has long advocated such a new partnership in
space, with the
private sector leading activities in the Near Frontier area
within the Moon’s
orbit, and NASA leading the exploration of the Far Frontier,
including Mars
and beyond.
Concluded Tumlinson: “Sean O’Keefe can bring fiscal
credibility to NASA, and
help divest it of operational activities such as the space
shuttle and
station use and operations. We look forward to working with
him soon to find
common ground on these and other issues.”
The Space Frontier Foundation is a group of people working
to open space to
human settlement. For more information on the Foundation,
call 1-(800)
78-SPACE.
