Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Wayne McCoy — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:42:57 GMT

Has NASA recovered from Challenger and Columbia? Those were far more devastating to the program than this sorry little episode blown completely out of proportion by the scandal-hungry media. Astronauts are humans, not super humans like they are often portrayed in the media. I worked for NASA in the Gemini and Apollo days, and some of the peccadilloes of the astronauts -- carefully suppressed, but hinted at in "The Right Stuff" -- make Nowak's stumble look like a minor aberration.

Nowak's situation certainly uncovered a problem that has to be addressed before we can seriously entertain ideas of going to Mars and longer space trips. So, yes, something good will come of her tribulations. It's a pity it had to happen to such a brilliant and motivated person, but it shows what can occur when people push themselves to their limits and demand perfection in reaching all their goals. I think that's what happened to Nowak -- everything she did had to be "perfect" and when her marriage broke up, and it looked like her "relationship" with Oefeling was threatened, she reacted like a cornered animal. She could not control the way her life was going.

Maybe the lesson to NASA is to avoid the highest achievers -- they tend to be driven and obsessed with perfection. And when they feel that obsession threatened, they can lose it. Not what you want on a two-year mission to Mars.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Thom, Grandville, MI — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:54:09 GMT

NASA will weather this storm just like it has all the other things that have hurt their image. The Lisa Nowak incident only tells us that astronauts are really just ordinary, educated people who have a really neat job.

What she did is nothing more or less than has happened in corporate offices all across our country. In the company I used to work for one of our VP's had it in on a potential rival over the company President. It was a very ugly scene and we, as employees had great fun exploiting it. In the end the board got rid of all three. Unfortunately (for the workers not the management) the company went belly up soon after I left for another position.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Dr. John French, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa (retired) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 05:37:44 GMT

I believe NASA will survive the "blind jealousy caper" recently reported. The majority of the astronauts have good, stable public relations and contacts that will preserve their image as a group.

For example, astronaut Collins did visit our local college for a day in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa about two years ago. She was gracious, professional, and not aloof. She seemed to understand that part of her duties was to be an ambassador. I am sure other astronauts have the same understanding that their role is part-public.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Dennis McClain-Furmanski — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:50:55 GMT

I haven't seen much media attention to and comparison with Buzz Aldrin's problems with depression and alcoholism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Aldrin). These were after his flight career, but they happened to one of the best of the best nonetheless. That being so, I suspect this too shall pass. The best of the best are, after all, still imperfect humans.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Wade Whitlock, Aberdeen, MD — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:23:14 GMT

Quite a dichotomy, eh? In space you absolutely want perfectionists, but you also need flexibility to deal with the unanticipated. You must check, re-check and redundantly check but you also have to get on with it, too.

The test pilots of the Mercury program knew that. The problem is, "How do you teach that kind of schizophrenia"?

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Kevin Doel, Palm Harbor, Florida — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:09:15 GMT

Astronauts are people too!

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

ron — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:53:36 GMT

When Nowak's episode gets swept under the carpet and people realize that they are dealing with another class of pampered citizens there may be a backlash of sorts.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Blind Howlin, Knoxville, Tennessee — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:26:08 GMT

Come on, give the poor woman, an NASA a break! Are we as a society so shocked that our Holy Grail of Techdom, NASA, can not accurately predict human behavior 100% of the time? As long as there have been and as long as there will be human astronauts, let us revel in their success and have compassion when they remind us they're not so different from the rest of us.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

a p garcia — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:27:01 GMT

Let the NAVY handle Lisa Nowak.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Brenda, San Bernardino, CA — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 23:11:11 GMT

Let's not let "one bad apple spoil the entire space program". The question makes it sound like that is what you would hope to hear - NEGATIVE remarks. Too bad that is the current form of "journalism"

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Ron Rutherford, Lawrenceburg, Indiana — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:08:08 GMT

Nowak's episode will not be "swept under the carpet" as ron suggested earlier. It's a little late for that. To suggest that NASA is made up of "pampered citizens" only tells me that ron has not been paying attention. In my contacts with both astronauts, engineers, and technicians at NASA installations, I have always been impressed with the "can do" spirit these people display. We are the ones who have called them heros, and placed them in high places (no pun intended.) For the most part, they are well educated, highly motivated, dedicated individuals with all of the blemishes the rest of us have and usually choose to ignore. We should do the same for these people as well. How many of us in our daily jobs have the pressure of knowing that a single error may cause a major loss of life, or cost millions of dollars in wasted space exploration equipment. Walk tall NASA, you have earned it!

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Jack Means, Willow Springs, Mo. — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 12:22:10 GMT

If the media would quit "SENSATIONALIZING" incidents such as this.It would be a mute point.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Bubba Jones — Sat, 26 May 2007 03:16:32 GMT

mute means you can't hear - moot means the matter is no longer an issue or relevant.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

H. S. Fairbank III — Sat, 26 May 2007 07:11:22 GMT

Imagine the unique experience of romance high above, with a view of the rest of civilization seperated & confined to our single little globe... Think you might find it to be a special experience for at least one of the two people... enough to want to know... what happened to change all that?

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

e mccallum, houston, texas — Sat, 26 May 2007 15:09:56 GMT

Bubba, Bubba, Bubba, mute means you can't talk.....

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

C.D. Kansas City — Sat, 26 May 2007 16:35:20 GMT

Astronauts are people before they are astronauts, and people have issues and lives outside of their work. The best any agency can do is to use extensive screening methods. Human behavior is extremely complex. Just from a statistical standpoint, something of a criminal nature was bound to occur, eventually. After the issue has been appropriately addressed, it's more productive to focus on the positives.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Sheryl Skoglund — Sat, 26 May 2007 18:17:30 GMT

Nasa needs to have professional therapists. The individuals need MMPI assesment. This is frightning to believe the power this group has achieved without professionalism. Robo Chicks?

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Xyla Crane — Sun, 27 May 2007 05:09:55 GMT

NASA shouldn't worry about ONE looney spoiling their image, every once in awhile any occupation has had some problems with members of its' employees/workers. The US Postal Service has had quite a few and no one I know holds that against the Post Office. The Military has had a few and no one I know holds that against the Military. As long as the "weirdos" are a small percentage of the organization there should be no problem with ONE idiot spoiling an otherwise good image for any organization.

Right vs. Wrong Stuff

Tom Coulcher, Oak Flats NSW. Australia — Sun, 27 May 2007 14:21:20 GMT

In Kentucky, a monument to creationism! Only in the US of A. If this wasn't so frightening it would be funny or is science so wrong? Is the Earth only 6000 years old? Is Richard Dawkins a fanatical nutcase? (Well probably.) Then again, I believe everybody should have the right to their beliefs, everybody should be allowed to make their own decisions, everybody should maintain an open mind. Sadly this is not always the case.