7.31.2007
Sobering reports
Yes, many in traditional media as well as blogspace became shall we say intoxicated by news out of NASA last week concerning alcohol imbibing astronauts. You didn't necessarily have to be smoking something funny to take away from all the hyped news stories the impression US astronauts were partying in space like it was 2099.I referred to assertions contained in the astronaut health and behavioral assessments as "allegations." Indeed, in a statement yesterday, Mike Griffin said: "the report was assembled from anecdotal information, unverified by the committee and, indeed, not documented in a way that would allow us to pursue the cited incidents to closure."
This blog is not Space Liquor Probe, but for the SLP record, here is some NASA documentation in connection with the astronauts health and behavior matter -- if you're interested, review it yourself:
And, as I linked on Friday, the video of NASA's 80-minute news conference on this; and here is the transcript.
NASA deputy administrator Shana Dale said NASA chief of safety and mission assurance Bryan O'Connor "began an extensive examination Friday focusing on allegations of improper alcohol use," and that the agency "will develop an astronaut code of conduct." And she said NASA "is moving forward to implement many of the recommendations contained in two studies..."
* * *
IMAGE: This may not be our favorite picture of Shana Dale, but last Friday's news conference in which she addressed questions of astronauts and alchohol probably wasn't her favorite moment as deputy administrator.
