Tuesday, September 29, 2009

SES Pool

It seems like only yesterday, but in fact LoriAndI have been in office for almost 120 days now. You know what that means. The smell of the SES pool is becoming noticeable. It's time for the fall pool cleaning.

And wouldn't you know it, the band leader is calling a 100% mandatory meeting of all SES minions on Oct 14-15 in the E Street Theater. The Snow Princess has her 90 day letters ready to go. The meeting will be to give fair warning that the pool will be drained and scoured within days thereafter and it may be wise to find another pool to swim in after that. With the approaching winter, after the pool is cleaned, it will be covered and not likely refilled to the old level for some time to come.

With the demise of the Market Inn, we can only wonder where the fallen leaves will land after being dropped from the adjacent tree.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

The sooner the better. This pool has become so polluted that nobody else is interested in swimming in that same filth.

Anonymous said...

Oh, say it isn't so,Joe! Say it isn't so!

So, E Street has found a way to get that extra $3B a year after all! It worked for the major contractors so perhaps NASA can jump on the layoff bandwagon as well.

Anonymous said...

We can only hope.

Anonymous said...

At JSC saying “Ho, Ho, Ho” is a holiday greeting.
At MSFC saying “Ho, Ho, Ho” is an SES counting staff.

It's time to give many a number and oar.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes - easy to take potshots at those in the SES core. How about those at LMCO who swore the SSTO would work and those at Boeing that overran ISS by billions? Do they still have jobs?

Anonymous said...

Apparently it is rocket science.

Anonymous said...

Do they still have jobs? Of course they do!

Who got fired? Those that told the truth about the design, pointed out the errors and put their reputations on the line to make things right. NASA retaliated and demanded that they be fired and the contractors couldn't wait to oblige them. I have first hand experience in this area.

Within a week they were asking for help with my old job - I introduced them to John Galt!

Anonymous said...

According to senior staff meeting at one of the Center's this is not what Rocketman thinks it is. The meeting was described as follows:
*All NASA SES/SL executives to attend NASA Summit in DC on 10/6-7
*Meeting will not be related to the Augustine Panel
*Meeting purpose will be similar to military “Capstone” training

Anonymous said...

Anon Oct 2. There are two separate meetings. One on the 6th, the other on the 14th. R&S is right about the second meeting.

Anonymous said...

Try this, happening right now @ MSFC.

Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) was asked to do analysis in support ***. The current Ares CSR lead “Niki” demanded all analysis come thru her for review and approval. If she said “NO” S&MA analysis will not be shared with anyone. S&MA balked, told her “NO”! S&MA is 100% independent. As you read this she is trying to have the S&MA chief @ MSFC removed form his job. Almost everyone is betting on Niki. So long Roy.

Antares said...

Anybody who doesn't realize the ISS overruns were due to NASA and RSA configuration changes (and the contract structure NASA allowed that heavily penalized changes) not Boeing doesn't have any business posting on any of the reputable sites. Go back to usenet. I don't know about VS but given the Lead Center's stellar track record, I'm not sure how culpable the contractor is in that case either.

Anonymous said...

One question: is this the swan song for the man, with some help from Broom Hilda's 19-pack cousin Karen P, set human space launch back 6-16 years from its inevitable commercial path?

Anonymous said...

Scuse me - but if you don't know that your illustrious prime contractor didn't know up front that they would soak NASA down the road and that they could have given them a realistic rather than "sunshine up" picture then ask yourself who's naive. Boeing was just as responsible for the overruns (morally responsible) as anyone. Too bad they didn't put Darlene on the case - I'm sure everything would have come out fine then.

Niki said...

If there is someone that has concerns that I am trying to do anything but integrate the risk work underway, then I encourage them to please come speak to me directly so I can have the opportunity to address this. As you well know, the Challenger and Columbia failures were results of integrated failures which propagated from the initiator to different element resulting in the fatal tragedy. THAT is why this integration function is critical - the reason that I asked that a topic be brought to an integration forum is for cognizance and understanding at the integrated level. I am very proud of this team and for the people that had the forethought and understanding to set up a functional group with Engineering, S&MA, and Project expertise in order to build products based off of the complimentary skills and knowledge of each relative member. It is not easy and it's not supposed to be, but I can guarantee you that good work is happening and for the right reasons with the purest of intent - that is what matters to me. I think that is amazing. However, it is disconcerting that anyone might believe that such pettiness and trivial mentalities exist within a function that is solely based on saving people that we are looking for additional topics to discuss at these forums due to power trips. We are focused on understanding from engineering, safety, and design perspectives which risks we need to spend our limited resources on as we move forward, which are from remnant historical placeholders, and which can be mitigated via design, controls, and/or operational fixes. Again - I would be more than happy, and eager actually, to discuss/explain this in detail with anyone who would like to, but that of course assumes that the folks voicing these concerns anonymously are willing to come forward. There is obviously a great deal of folks with a good mind and meaningful experience - that is obvious in some of the topics and discussions held here - I just ask that you use those skills and that obvious energy for pushing this 'rock up the hill' a little further every day and not for malice. This Agency has enough challenges - how will we ever overcome those or show Congress and the public what we are capable of if we can't even work together on something as important as building the safest crewed vehicle possible?

Anonymous said...

I just hope they can use orthoscopic surgery to excise those from previous administration who "burrowed in." In addition to everything else, we don't need another Linda Tripp.

Anonymous said...

Is that a sentence or a paragraph?

Anonymous said...

Guess Roy gets to keep his job.

Niki,unchecked you will cost NASA millions and maybe just a crew or two.

Anonymous said...

Nikki, Nikki, Nikki! Where was all of this 'let's work together' attitude when I brought up a myriad of basic requirement problems, problems that should never have found their way into your specifications in the first place?

Where were you when I got told to get out because the North side of 4708 didn't like my questioning of the quasi requirements. I tried to lend my expertise and experience to the mix to get those issues resolved but your minions were too embarrassed so they found a sure fire way to eliminate the source!

How do you explain a requirements document going through and being approved by ECB with over 150 technical comments against it? When asked, the presenter covered up with 'aw, the commenter just wants the document rewritten and we don't have time for that!'

No person in their right mind is going to walk into your office trap and see their career torn to shreds!

Anonymous said...

Niki,

It's not the CSR team or mission. We need the CSR. It’s the unethical head. It’s the problems you create, the drama and the near 100% lack of experience a Biology major brings to a critical engineering area.

It's time to let the rest of NASA know about the 3 year history of Niki @ MSFC/Ames resident office.

The good thing about working with you is the proof that can be collected. I'm sending this all off to every media organization I can find. Sorry for the black eye NASA.

Anonymous said...

Niki. Way to confirm what happened. This is sad. The Crew Safety and Reliability (CSR) manager for Ares 1 does not know why Columbia and Challenger (and the crews) died.

Anonymous said...

"Niki, unchecked you will cost NASA millions..."

Niki has already cost the government millions in time spent in IG investigations and legal fees, not to mention the personal expenses of those wrongly targeted by her histrionic accusations.

Anonymous said...

Niki has something big on NASA MSFC. You can't get caught that many times without some action, be the cause of so many problems, and engage in significant contract corruption (Total Solutions @ MSFC is a bank for contractor and Gov people) without some large degree of complicity from Sr. NASA management.

Whatever she has on NASA MSFS it's bigger and more important than good crew safety and the success of Ares 1.
I hope the Astronauts agree. On day the US Navy will be fishing 4 from the North Atlantic and to a good degree the deaths will be her fault.

Anonymous said...

Niki says
" how will we ever overcome those or show Congress and the public what we are capable of if we can't even work together on something as important as building the safest crewed vehicle possible?"

exactly, which is why congress should not give nasa a dime towards crewed vehicles.

NASA is a joke in industry.

PS There aren't 3 people in NASA management who can explain what caused the Columbia or Challenger loss

Anonymous said...

Niki is just using all that Russian Study
for good use. Anyone causes trouble, send
them to the Gulag.

Anonymous said...

I always thought that the "Crew Safety and Reliability Manager" worked for S&MA. Turns out, she doesn't. There goes another CAIB recommendation out the window...S&MA is controlled by the project! I thought they were supposed to be independent...

Anonymous said...

Okay, the Oct. 14th workday is over. R-man indicated a second round tomorrow?

So, how is the pool water?