May 12 1986
From The Space Library
Dr. James C. Fletcher became NASA's administrator for the second time. His first term in this position ran from April 1971 to May 1977. During the interim, he held the William K: Whitford Professorship of Energy Resources and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh and headed his own consulting firm. Past achievements include positions as research physicist with the United States Navy Bureau of Ordinance, research associate at Harvard University, instructor at Princeton University, positions in the private sector with Hughes Aircraft Company, Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation and Space Electronics Corporation, and president of Space General Corporation. He also developed patents in sonar devices and missile guidance systems and has been associated with the President's Science Advisory Committee.
After being sworn in, Fletcher announced that Space Shuttle flight would not resume for another 12 to 18 months and promised to fully review NASA's quality control program and decision-making process. He also noted that the 70 percent reduction in quality control staff for which NASA was recently criticized was "misleading" because "in-house" work such as the Moon-launched Saturn rockets were no longer a responsibility. A full Senate approved his nomination on May 6. (NASA Release 86-60; B Sun, May 13/86; W Post, May 13/86; WSJ, May 13/86; NY Times, May 13/86)
Air Force Secretary Edward Aldridge restated at a conference of the Aviation Space Writers that the USAF would like to purchase a new rocket that could lift medium weight satellites. The rockets, which the service calls "medium lift vehicles," were needed to launch 12 NAVSTAR navigation satellites scheduled for Shuttle flights. He also informed the conference of an interest in larger rockets, "complementary expendable launch vehicles," (an updated Titan rocket) for putting the Pentagon's heaviest satellites into orbit. (B Sun, May 14/86; NY Times, May 13/86; May 20/86)
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