Sep 20 1999
From The Space Library
AlliedSignal Technical Services, based in Columbia, Maryland, named as its president former astronaut and Space Shuttle Program Office executive James C. Adamson, who had logged 334 hours in orbit during Missions STS-28 and STS-43. AlliedSignal Technical Services had a staff of 1,800 in Maryland and responsibility for oversight of most of the "spacecraft ground and flight control at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt [Maryland]." In accepting the appointment, Adamson was leaving his position as Chief Operating Officer of United Space Alliance (USA), which operated the Shuttle program for NASA.
Lockheed Martin announced a "sweeping reorganization" of key leadership positions, in response to recommendations of the review panel chaired by A. Thomas Young. The Young Panel had urged the company to make structural changes to correct quality-control problems at Astronautics, the unit responsible for Atlas, Titan, and Athena rocket development. In response to the panel's recommendation to divide the two tasks of product assurance and mission success, Astronautics President G. Thomas Marsh appointed John P. Mari as Vice President of Product Assurance and Roman Matherne as Vice President for Mission Success. Marsh named John Parker, President of the former Mission Success and Product Assurance Section, to head the operations post in Lockheed Martin's VentureStarTM Program, which the company hoped to develop into a future reusable launch vehicle with the potential to replace the Space Shuttle. Marsh appointed Joel S. Porter as Vice President for Business Development and Advanced Programs for Astronautics, succeeding Matthew B. Foster, who resigned. Other changes at Astronautics included the appointment of Claude McAnally as Vice President of Operations; the appointment of Grover W. Hall Jr. as Vice President of Technical Operations; and the separation of Technical Operations from Manufacturing Operations to better delineate responsibility and accountability, according to the recommendations of the Young Panel. Lockheed tasked Gareth D. Flora, under Marsh's supervision, with developing, managing, and improving subcontract management. In addition, Flora became responsible for ensuring that the company properly implemented the recommendations of the investigating team, as well as those of a separate U.S. Air Force review of the aerospace industry.
NASA announced the establishment of a review panel to examine the overall safety of Shuttle maintenance and refurbishment practices following the discovery of maintenance-related damage to the Shuttle fleet's electrical wiring. NASA had named Director of ARC Henry McDonald to chair the panel. NASA Associate Administrator for Space Flight Joseph H. Rothenberg indicated that the other team members, not yet named, would include top maintenance experts from NASA, the military, the commercial aerospace industry, and the commercial aircraft industry. NASA required the team to assess NASA's standard practices and recommend improvements, with preliminary findings due in October.
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