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Nasa's Spaceflight Chief Resigns on Eve of Historic Flight

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#1

https://www.space.com/nasa-human-spaceflight-chief-doug-loverro-resigns.html?utm_source=notification

Ā 

Doug Loverro,Ā NASA's chief of human spaceflight, resigned from his post Monday (May 18) after less than a year on the job, the agency announced today (May 19).Ā 

Loverro's resignation as Associate Administrator for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate is a stunning development, as the agency counts down to the first orbital crew launch from U.S. soil in nearly a decade, which will take place on May 27.Ā 

Ā 

What could go wrong?

#5

Yeah... Some shady shit going on. I'm trying to get details, but initially it looks like something related to the recent lunar lander contact awards.

Boeing was left out, and Boeing doesn't like being left out.

It smells like a political hit job, but again... Too early to say for sure.

Stand by.

#6

I'm sure everything Boeing has to do with this is completely on the up and up. Impeccable track record of late.

  • Popular Post
#7
Boeing was left out, and Boeing doesn't like being left out.

He probably thought it was a bad idea for the lander software to take over and crash itself into the moon
#9
17 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:


He probably thought it was a bad idea for the lander software to take over and crash itself into the moon

"Elaine, we're gonna have to blow the computer."

"You mean...Blow Roc?"Ā Ā 

#10

Lot of good "inside baseball" in this Ars Technica article.

But the thing that stands out the most is how little is really known yet - kudos to them for admitting that.Ā 

I'm still standing byĀ for any real details, although ... I'm wondering if this turns out to be the most boring and bureaucratic reason ever, as opposed to somebody caught him with an underaged intern.

#11
20 hours ago, RamjetFDO said:

Yeah... Some shady shit going on. I'm trying to get details, but initially it looks like something related to the recent lunar lander contact awards.

Boeing was left out, and Boeing doesn't like being left out.

It smells like a political hit job, but again... Too early to say for sure.

Stand by.

That little mishap back in December....

Quote

ā€œThe mission didn’t go as planned because we made a mistake,ā€ said Jim Chilton, senior vice president for space and launch at Boeing Defense and Space. The timer issue, he said, caused the spacecraft to think it was in a different phase of the mission immediately after separation from its Atlas 5 launch vehicle.

Didn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence, especially since Boeing potentially took a $400 million hit. Ā That probably ate into some Boeing exec's bonuses.

#12
20 hours ago, RamjetFDO said:

Yeah... Some shady shit going on. I'm trying to get details, but initially it looks like something related to the recent lunar lander contact awards.

Boeing was left out, and Boeing doesn't like being left out.

It smells like a political hit job, but again... Too early to say for sure.

Stand by.

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#13
19 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:


He probably thought it was a bad idea for the lander software to take over and crash itself into the moon

Hell, the last time it threw its hands up in the air (space) and gave up. I’d give it credit for having some initiative.Ā 

#14

The deĀ­ciĀ­sion, acĀ­cordĀ­ing to the perĀ­son faĀ­milĀ­iar with the deĀ­tails, was prompted by an inĀ­terĀ­nal agency inĀ­quiry into Mr. LoverĀ­ro’s alĀ­leged inĀ­volveĀ­ment in sharĀ­ing data among cerĀ­tain comĀ­paĀ­nies vyĀ­ing for luĀ­nar-lanĀ­der conĀ­tracts as part of the moon proĀ­gram, known as Artemis.

....

Three weeks ago, NASA awarded luĀ­nar-lanĀ­der conĀ­tracts toĀ­talĀ­ing nearly $1 bilĀ­lion to three sepĀ­aĀ­rate teams led by Elon Musk’s Space ExĀ­ploĀ­ration TechĀ­noloĀ­gies Corp., the DyĀ­netĀ­ics unit of longĀ­time agency conĀ­tracĀ­tor LeiĀ­dos HoldĀ­ings Inc. and Blue OriĀ­gin LLC, founded and run by AmaĀ­zon.Ā­com Inc. chairĀ­man, Jeff BeĀ­zos.
....

Mr. Loverro, acĀ­cordĀ­ing to the perĀ­son faĀ­milĀ­iar with the deĀ­tails of his deĀ­parĀ­ture, was unĀ­der scruĀ­tiny for alĀ­legedly sharĀ­ing cerĀ­tain comĀ­pany data with one or more of the bidĀ­ding teams, which iniĀ­tially inĀ­cluded BoeĀ­ing Co., one of NASA’s most promĀ­inent conĀ­tracĀ­tors since the dawn of the Space Age. BoeĀ­ing was elimĀ­iĀ­nated from the comĀ­peĀ­ti-tion beĀ­fore specifics of the three awards were deĀ­cided. A BoeĀ­ing spokesman deĀ­clined to comĀ­ment.


https://www.wsj.com/articles/senior-nasa-official-resigns-amid-probe-into-suspect-contracting-actions-11590012946?mod=mhp

#16

There's a lot of frustration and shoulder-shrugging going on in my circle of contacts with the lack of information. Ā It's a fairly consistent thought, though, that Loverro made a pretty heavy-handed decision in the procurement process, perhaps even sharing some proprietary or at least advantageous information that maybe shouldn't have been shared with Boeing's competitors that allowed them to structure their responses to the Lunar Lander proposal. Ā And, when Boeing wasn't selected, they weren't happy about that at all.

So - that is looking more likely with each passing day of "no other news". Ā If it were something really juicy or really obnoxious, it would probably have leaked by now.

So - "boring" reason is leading the pack.

More if I hear anything. :/

#17

So how does it work, Boeing calls important people in DC, important people in DC call for this guy’s head on a platter?

#19
28 minutes ago, XYZ said:

So how does it work, Boeing calls important people in DC, important people in DC call for this guy’s head on a platter?

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#21
4 hours ago, RamjetFDO said:

There's a lot of frustration and shoulder-shrugging going on in my circle of contacts with the lack of information. Ā It's a fairly consistent thought, though, that Loverro made a pretty heavy-handed decision in the procurement process, perhaps even sharing some proprietary or at least advantageous information that maybe shouldn't have been shared with Boeing's competitors that allowed them to structure their responses to the Lunar Lander proposal. Ā And, when Boeing wasn't selected, they weren't happy about that at all.

So - that is looking more likely with each passing day of "no other news". Ā If it were something really juicy or really obnoxious, it would probably have leaked by now.

So - "boring" reason is leading the pack.

More if I hear anything. :/

So is he fired for leaking to some bidders, or because Boeing didn’t like that he leaked to bidders that weren’t Boeing?

#22
2 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

So is he fired for leaking to some bidders, or because Boeing didn’t like that he leaked to bidders that weren’t Boeing?

Don't know for sure ... but the stink of it is the latter.

#23
5 hours ago, RamjetFDO said:

Don't know for sure ... but the stink of it is the latter.

Is this the same guy you thought was an odd fit when he got the job? Seems like there was a major hire a while back that you questioned.

  • 2 months later...
#24

Criminal probe:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-probes-former-nasa-officials-contacts-with-boeing-executive-on-lunar-contracts-11597433060?st=3kdhahz8ztdp6fs&reflink=article_copyURL_share

U.S. Criminal Probe Looks at Former NASA Official’s Contacts With Boeing Executive

Investigation focuses on procurement-related information then-senior official shared with Boeing about lunar-lander competition

FedĀ­eral prosĀ­eĀ­cuĀ­tors have opened a crimĀ­iĀ­nal probe into whether a seĀ­nior NASA ofĀ­fiĀ­cial imĀ­propĀ­erly told a high-rankĀ­ing BoeĀ­ing Co. exĀ­ecĀ­uĀ­tive about the staĀ­tus of a luĀ­nar-lanĀ­der conĀ­tract, spurring the comĀ­pany to reĀ­vise its bid, acĀ­cordĀ­ing to peoĀ­ple faĀ­milĀ­iar with the inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tion.
Ā 

The grand-jury inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tion, which hasn’t been preĀ­viĀ­ously reĀ­ported, is beĀ­ing led by the U.S. atĀ­torĀ­ney’s ofĀ­fice for the DisĀ­trict of CoĀ­lumbia and is foĀ­cused on comĀ­muĀ­niĀ­caĀ­tion that ocĀ­curred early this year outĀ­side esĀ­tabĀ­lished conĀ­tractĀ­ing chanĀ­nels, these peoĀ­ple said. ProsĀ­eĀ­cuĀ­tors, they said, are lookĀ­ing into conĀ­tacts beĀ­tween Doug Loverro, beĀ­fore he reĀ­signed as head of NASA’s huĀ­man-exĀ­plo-ration proĀ­grams in May, and Jim Chilton, seĀ­nior vice presĀ­iĀ­dent of BoeĀ­ing’s space and launch diĀ­viĀ­sion.

Mr. Loverro, who wasn’t part of NASA’s ofĀ­fiĀ­cial conĀ­tractĀ­ing staff, inĀ­formed Mr. Chilton that the Chicago aeroĀ­space giĀ­ant was about to be elimĀ­iĀ­nated from the comĀ­peĀ­ti-tion based on cost and techĀ­niĀ­cal evalĀ­uĀ­aĀ­tions, acĀ­cordĀ­ing to some of the peoĀ­ple. Within days, BoeĀ­ing subĀ­mitĀ­ted a reĀ­vised proĀ­posal, they said. The NaĀ­tional AeroĀ­nauĀ­tics and Space AdĀ­minĀ­isĀ­traĀ­tion forĀ­mally deĀ­terĀ­mined the bid changes came too late to be conĀ­sidĀ­ered, and three other comĀ­paĀ­nies won conĀ­tracts in April toĀ­talĀ­ing nearly $1 bilĀ­lion.

The inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tion is in the early stages, acĀ­cordĀ­ing to the peoĀ­ple faĀ­milĀ­iar with it, and it isn’t known whether the probe will reĀ­sult in a crimĀ­iĀ­nal case. ReĀ­gardĀ­less of how it ends, the inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tion heightĀ­ens scruĀ­tiny of Mr. LoverĀ­ro’s conĀ­duct and raises new quesĀ­tions about BoeĀ­ing’s deĀ­ciĀ­sion-makĀ­ing and inĀ­terĀ­nal conĀ­tractĀ­ing safeĀ­guards. SevĀ­eral mid-level BoeĀ­ing ofĀ­fiĀ­cials, inĀ­cludĀ­ing an atĀ­torĀ­ney, were pushed out of the comĀ­pany as a reĀ­sult of the conĀ­troĀ­versy, peoĀ­ple faĀ­milĀ­iar with the perĀ­sonĀ­nel changes said.
Ā 

The comĀ­pany has taken steps to imĀ­prove comĀ­pliĀ­ance trainĀ­ing folĀ­lowĀ­ing the episode, said a perĀ­son briefed on BoeĀ­ing’s inĀ­terĀ­nal reĀ­sponse.

BoeĀ­ing, which faces a sepĀ­aĀ­rate crimĀ­iĀ­nal probe into its deĀ­velĀ­op-ment of the 737 MAX pasĀ­senĀ­ger jet, deĀ­clined to comĀ­ment on the inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tion or on beĀ­half of Mr. Chilton. A NASA spokesman said it is ā€œinĀ­apĀ­proĀ­priĀ­ate to disĀ­cuss perĀ­sonĀ­nel acĀ­tionsā€ but added, ā€œWe are conĀ­fiĀ­dent in our proĀ­cureĀ­ment process.ā€ A spokesĀ­woman for the U.S. atĀ­torĀ­ney’s ofĀ­fice didn’t reĀ­spond to reĀ­quests for comĀ­ment. Mr. LoverĀ­ro’s lawyers couldn’t be reached for comĀ­ment.

Mr. Loverro has told inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tors he was tryĀ­ing to help the luĀ­nar-lanĀ­der proĀ­gram and taxĀ­payĀ­ers rather than purĀ­suĀ­ing anyĀ­thing ill-inĀ­tended, acĀ­cordĀ­ing to some of the peoĀ­ple faĀ­milĀ­iar with the inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­ga-tion, by reĀ­ducĀ­ing the likeĀ­liĀ­hood that the bidĀ­ding process would be slowed down by poĀ­tenĀ­tial chal-lenges or apĀ­peals to the outĀ­come.
Ā 

Mr. LoverĀ­ro’s comĀ­muĀ­niĀ­caĀ­tions with BoeĀ­ing, and the comĀ­paĀ­ny’s acĀ­tions folĀ­lowĀ­ing those comĀ­muĀ­ni-caĀ­tions, prompted comĀ­plaints within parts of NASA, the peoĀ­ple faĀ­milĀ­iar with the inĀ­quiry said. The comĀ­plaints sparked a preĀ­viĀ­ously reĀ­ported probe by the agency’s inĀ­specĀ­tor genĀ­eral into whether BoeĀ­ing gained unĀ­usual inĀ­sight or any adĀ­vanĀ­tage in the comĀ­peĀ­tiĀ­tion. Weeks afĀ­ter the awards were anĀ­nounced, Mr. Loverro stepped down as an asĀ­sociate adĀ­minĀ­isĀ­tra-tor unĀ­der presĀ­sure from NASA’s leadĀ­erĀ­ship.

In a farewell mesĀ­sage to staff sent on May 19, Mr. Loverro sugĀ­gested he had overĀ­stepped his auĀ­thorĀ­ity or othĀ­erĀ­wise might have run afoul of conĀ­tractĀ­ing rules. He wrote that ā€œrisk-takĀ­ing is part of the job deĀ­scripĀ­tionā€ of someĀ­one in his role. WithĀ­out elabĀ­oĀ­ratĀ­ing, the mesĀ­sage said, ā€œI took such a risk earĀ­lier in the year beĀ­cause I judged it necĀ­esĀ­sary to fulĀ­fill our misĀ­sion.ā€

AfĀ­ter Mr. Loverro left NASA, some of these peoĀ­ple said, prosĀ­eĀ­cuĀ­tors opened their probe into whether proĀ­cureĀ­ment inĀ­tegrity laws were viĀ­oĀ­lated, reĀ­questĀ­ing writĀ­ten stateĀ­ments and isĀ­suĀ­ing at least one subĀ­poena. The inĀ­specĀ­tor genĀ­erĀ­al’s civil inĀ­quiry has been put on hold pendĀ­ing resĀ­oĀ­luĀ­tion of the crimĀ­iĀ­nal probe, acĀ­cordĀ­ing to peoĀ­ple faĀ­milĀ­iar with both inĀ­quiries. A spokes-woman for the inĀ­specĀ­tor genĀ­eral deĀ­clined comĀ­ment.
Ā 

In his stateĀ­ments to NASA and JusĀ­tice DeĀ­partĀ­ment inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tors, these peoĀ­ple said, Mr. Loverro inĀ­diĀ­cated his goal was to preĀ­vent disĀ­rupĀ­tions to NASA’s lanĀ­der plans. ProsĀ­eĀ­cuĀ­tors also are lookĀ­ing at his conĀ­tact with anĀ­other bidĀ­der, these peoĀ­ple said, withĀ­out idenĀ­tiĀ­fyĀ­ing that party.

Both of the conĀ­tacts with bidĀ­ders might have breached esĀ­tabĀ­lished NASA proĀ­ceĀ­dures deĀ­signed to inĀ­suĀ­late conĀ­tractĀ­ing deĀ­ciĀ­sions from imĀ­proper inĀ­fluĀ­ence, acĀ­cord-ing to these peoĀ­ple, and could have reĀ­flected efĀ­forts by a newĀ­comer to NASA’s leadĀ­erĀ­ship ranks to rev up comĀ­peĀ­tiĀ­tion. Mr. Loverro is a forĀ­mer seĀ­nior PenĀ­tagon space ofĀ­fiĀ­cial who played an imĀ­porĀ­tant role in esĀ­tabĀ­lishĀ­ing the goals and broad deĀ­sign of NASA’s huĀ­man-lanĀ­der proĀ­gram afĀ­ter comĀ­ing to the agency in DeĀ­cemĀ­ber. He didn’t make the fiĀ­nal conĀ­tractĀ­ing deĀ­ciĀ­sions.
Ā 

At the end of April, NASA chose the three corĀ­poĀ­rate teams to deĀ­velop lanĀ­ders inĀ­tended to take asĀ­tro-nauts to the moon for the first time in nearly half a cenĀ­tury, reĀ­lyĀ­ing on a blend of startup and esĀ­tabĀ­lished conĀ­tracĀ­tors to lead the way with draĀ­matĀ­iĀ­cally difĀ­ferĀ­ent techĀ­niĀ­cal soĀ­luĀ­tions. ToĀ­talĀ­ing $967 milĀ­lion, the conĀ­tracts are inĀ­tended to be a down payĀ­ment for bilĀ­lions of adĀ­diĀ­tional tax dolĀ­lars NASA plans to spend on lanĀ­der proĀ­toĀ­types and testĀ­ing. There is no inĀ­diĀ­caĀ­tion the winĀ­ners—Space ExĀ­ploĀ­ration TechĀ­noloĀ­gies Corp., Blue OriĀ­gin FedĀ­erĀ­aĀ­tion LLC and LeiĀ­dos HoldĀ­ings Inc.’s DyĀ­netĀ­ics unit—are part of the JusĀ­tice DeĀ­partĀ­ment probe.

Those three comĀ­paĀ­nies eiĀ­ther deĀ­clined to comĀ­ment or couldn’t be reached.
Ā 

For BoeĀ­ing, howĀ­ever, the outĀ­come was widely seen as a blow. InĀ­dusĀ­try ofĀ­fiĀ­cials exĀ­pressed surĀ­prise the comĀ­pany wasn’t choĀ­sen deĀ­spite its forĀ­midable role in huĀ­man space exĀ­ploĀ­ration stretchĀ­ing back some five decades.

In his farewell mesĀ­sage, Mr. Loverro wrote that his exit from NASA had ā€œnothĀ­ing to do with your perĀ­forĀ­mance as an orĀ­gaĀ­niĀ­zaĀ­tion nor with the plans we have placed in moĀ­tionā€ to land asĀ­troĀ­nauts on the moon by 2024, adding, ā€œMy leavĀ­ing is beĀ­cause of my perĀ­sonal acĀ­tions.ā€
Ā 

Mr. LoverĀ­ro’s resĀ­igĀ­naĀ­tion atĀ­tracted wideĀ­spread atĀ­tenĀ­tion partly beĀ­cause it was so abrupt—he subĀ­mitĀ­ted his resĀ­igĀ­naĀ­tion the day beĀ­fore he sent his goĀ­ing-away mesĀ­sage—and partly beĀ­cause it came less than two weeks beĀ­fore SpaceX’s flight of the first comĀ­mer-cially deĀ­velĀ­oped capĀ­sule to carry huĀ­mans to the InĀ­ternational Space StaĀ­tion. The Wall Street JourĀ­nal iniĀ­tially reĀ­ported the inĀ­specĀ­tor genĀ­erĀ­al’s inĀ­quiry, and the WashĀ­ing-ton Post later idenĀ­tiĀ­fied Mr. Chilton as Mr. LoverĀ­ro’s conĀ­tact at BoeĀ­ing.

In the 737 MAX inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tion, fedĀ­eral prosĀ­eĀ­cuĀ­tors at JusĀ­tice DeĀ­partĀ­ment headĀ­quarĀ­ters have been gathĀ­erĀ­ing evĀ­iĀ­dence for nearly two years. In reĀ­cent months they have been seekĀ­ing to build a case against a forĀ­mer BoeĀ­ing piĀ­lot who overĀ­saw regĀ­uĀ­laĀ­tory apĀ­provals for MAX manĀ­uĀ­als and piĀ­lot trainĀ­ing beĀ­fore he left the comĀ­pany, the JourĀ­nal has reĀ­ported.

Two of the airĀ­craft crashed within five months, killing a toĀ­tal of 346 peoĀ­ple and sparkĀ­ing varĀ­iĀ­ous inĀ­vesĀ­tiĀ­gaĀ­tions into BoeĀ­ing’s failĀ­ures to promptly and fully proĀ­vide deĀ­sign deĀ­tails to regĀ­uĀ­la-tors durĀ­ing the plane’s iniĀ­tial cerĀ­tiĀ­fiĀ­caĀ­tion. BoeĀ­ing has said it met all regĀ­uĀ­laĀ­tory reĀ­quireĀ­ments in deĀ­signĀ­ing the MAX and is workĀ­ing to obĀ­tain apĀ­proval of reĀ­viĀ­sions and fixes to the plane’s deĀ­sign. The forĀ­mer BoeĀ­ing piĀ­lot’s lawyer has said his client didn’t do anyĀ­thing to unĀ­derĀ­mine safety or misĀ­lead regĀ­uĀ­laĀ­tors.
Ā 

Write to Andy Pasztor at andy.pasztor@wsj.com, Andrew Tangel at Andrew.Tangel@wsj.com and Aruna Viswanatha at Aruna.Viswanatha@wsj.com Ā 

Ā 

Edited by UTexasFight

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