It seems that NASA is facing a hard time, especially this year, as its internal problems are creeping one after another, questioning its disciplinary attitude towards its crewmembers.
A panel reviewing astronaut health issue found that at least on two occasions astronauts were allowed to fly even after fellow astronauts and flight surgeon warned them that they are so intoxicated that they pose a flight-safety risk, which is against NASA’s ‘bottle to throttle’ rule that forbids drinking before flights.
This surprising news first reported on its web by Aviation Week & Space technology shocked the officials concerned with NASA.
Later, it was confirmed by a NASA official that the report do not have any substantial proof in favor of it as it came out from an anonymous interview.
NASA’s space operation chief, Bill Gerstenmaier, thought it inappropriate to discus the matter before report is issued on Friday after looking at panel’s findings. He further said that he had never been involved in such a situation before where he had faced a drunken astronaut.
However, with this astonishing complain, came another jolting news which mentions an apparent act of sabotage on a computer system of space shuttle by an unidentified employee concerning a subcontractor. This computer system intended to transfer data from sensors on the station to mission control on the ground.
In February, this year, orders were issued to arrest then-astronaut Lisa M. Nowak after reviews by Administrator Michel Griffin. Lisa was accused of attacking and threatening a fellow astronaut in Orlando whom she took as her romantic rival.
Whatever be the reasons behind these incidents, but many former astronauts and officials, such as Jeffery Williams, Himmel, former associate director for Glen Research center, Eileen Collin, former shuttle commander, all are surprised as well as anxious about shattering of the image, which NASA had always maintained.
Such incidents seems amazing as NASA even had reviews conducted by a panel of military doctors, psychologists, lawyers and astronauts, in order to diagnose the stress and strain problems that astronauts face while on a mission, so they could have best mental and physical health of concerning crew members.
Officials are waiting for the congressional hearing so that they could decide any further action.
Image Credit: CTV
Via: Yahoo!
