Mar 7 2007
From The Space Library
NASA issued a statement regarding the status of astronaut Lisa M. Nowak, the U.S. Navy captain charged with attempted kidnapping and related charges. Under a mutual agreement with the U.S. Navy, NASA was terminating Nowak’s detail as an astronaut, effective 8 March. Nowak, the first astronaut ever dismissed by NASA, had begun her detail with NASA following her selection as a member of the astronaut class of 1996. She had flown on her only mission, STS-121, in 2006. NASA had requested the U.S. Navy’s agreement to terminate Nowak’s detail because NASA lacked the administrative authority to address the criminal charges pending against Nowak. Because Nowak was a naval officer assigned to NASA, rather than a NASA civil servant, she was not subject to administrative action by NASA. NASA further stated that the decision to terminate Nowak’s detail did not indicate that NASA had taken a position on the criminal charges against her.
NASA, “Statement Regarding the Status of Lisa Nowak,” news release 07-26, 7 March 2007, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/mar/HQ_07026_Nowak_Status.html (accessed 14 October 2009); Lianne Hart, “NASA Fires Astronaut Charged in Assault on Rival,” Los Angeles Times, 8 March 2007.
NASA announced the completion of its Systems Requirement Review (SRR) of the Orion crew exploration vehicle (CEV), marking the first major milestone in Orion’s engineering process. In conducting the review of Orion’s requirements data set, NASA scientists and engineers had discussed more than 1,700 topics, covering all aspects of Orion’s performance, design, and qualifications. The SRR would provide a baseline for the design, development, construction, and safe operation of the spacecraft that NASA would use to carry astronauts beyond Earth orbit. In November 2006, NASA had completed an overall review of requirements for the Constellation Program, which also included the Ares launch vehicles and systems for the human exploration of planetary surfaces.
NASA, “NASA Completes Key Review of Orion Spacecraft,” news release 07-58, 7 March 2007, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/mar/HQ_07058_Orion_SRR.html (accessed October 14, 2009); Jefferson Morris, “Baseline Requirements Completed by NASA for Orion,” Aviation Week, 9 March 2007; “NASA’s Orion spacecraft|Orion Spacecraft One Step Closer to Assembly,” Aero-News Network, 9 March 2007.
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