Words of Wisdom from Astronaut / Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins

Eileen Collins’ witness statement from the hearing on “The Space Leadership Preservation Act and the Need for Stability at NASA” in February of this year was short, to the point, and dead on. To whit:

“I believe program cancellation decisions that are made by bureaucracies, behind closed doors, and without input by the people, are divisive, damaging, cowardly, and many times more expensive in the long run. As a shuttle commander, I would never make a huge decision without input from all the experts, even the ones I do not agree with. So what will keep us from having surprises like this that set us back years? Answer: A continuity of purpose over many years, over political administrations, and over normal changes in leadership throughout the chain of command. I know there must be ways to do this through policy, organizational structure, and strong leadership.”

Indeed. I love working at NASA (as a contractor), and I want to continue to love working at NASA. The current administration has not been helpful in this regard.

You can read the entire content here: http://spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=48489

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