And the New Year is off and running! At least as far as sparking some life back into space exploration. The news business buzzes this week that Michael Griffin will soon be replaced as NASA Administrator. Whether he's jumping before being pushed, and who may replace him, remain unsettled details. (The leading contender among educated guesses is former shuttle commander Major General Charles Bolden, quite an uplifting choice.) So it turns out after all that a last minute email drive, fictionally studded internet petition, and uncomfortably public spousal appeal did little but add levity at the end of a determined sequence to change things up. This indicates clear dissatisfaction with the current planners, not necessarily the plan, and with that change comes opportunity to get things back on track.

Given the ambitious Vision for Space Exploration, one of few presidential initiatives done right recently, to mishandle the opportunity in order to install an unnecessary launcher and its little bastardly placeholder, the farcical Ares I began to "stick" in the throat of progress. (As soon as safety gear comes off a spacecraft, expect that spacecraft to fail, and that goes for spacecraft plans as well!) This is no time to jeopardize precious momentum. ISS is within a stone's throw of completion with all a complete crew promises. The Martian rovers still chug along at their unexpected five year anniversary, keeping a pleasant focus on space.

The time is ripe for leadership with an eye on something beyond how impressive they seem as leader. Affection for any specific means of attaining the goal must never take priority over the goal itself. For all the allegiance felt for the Ares program in lieu of an alternative, its risky schedule, expensive price tag, and payload diet make it an entirely reasonable target. Anyone up the ladder, and thankfully this appears without exception, who can't get that straight not only needs but also begs for replacement.

A plan that cannot work efficiently is not an effective plan! So this is a good thing and for yet another time in recent memory an encouraging direction beckons. If this comes as a shock for others too committed with keeping their corner clean to notice a house burning down around them, that's too bad. A general housecleaning might even be in order to get priorities back in line. With all the credentials at their disposal my engineering brothers should have no trouble landing even better opportunities to try and enforce their will over common sense and the law.


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