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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday February 12 2020, @10:06PM   Printer-friendly
from the gravitas++ dept.

SpaceX brings on NASA's former top spaceflight official as it prepares to launch first astronauts:

SpaceX is only a couple of months away from its first attempt at launching astronauts and the company has brought in one of the foremost experts in human spaceflight to help it do so successfully.

William Gerstenmaier, the former leader of NASA's human spaceflight program, has now begun working at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, people familiar with his hiring told CNBC. In his new role Gerstenmaier is reporting to SpaceX vice president of mission assurance Hans Koenigsmann, those people said, as the company prepares to begin launching astronauts.

A SpaceX spokesperson confirmed that Gerstenmaier is a consultant for the company's reliability engineering team.

Previously Gerstenmaier served as the NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations for nearly 14 years. In total he had a four decade career with NASA, working on programs ranging from the Space Shuttle to the International Space Station. Gerstenmaier is widely considered one of the world's top specialists in flying humans in space, frequently testifying before Congress on the subject.

SpaceX has hired a key NASA official to help with human spaceflight:

SpaceX has confirmed that NASA's former chief of human spaceflight, William Gerstenmaier, has joined the company as a consultant as it prepares to launch astronauts for the first time.

[...] He immediately brings credibility to the company's safety culture. Former Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale, who now chairs the human spaceflight committee of NASA's Advisory Council, told Ars last summer, "Bill was recognized by everybody as being technically well-grounded and very astute. He was known to listen carefully and to make his judgments based on good technical reasons."

[...] In his new position, Gerstenmaier is reporting to Hans Koenigsmann, the vice president of Mission Assurance at SpaceX. Although the role is officially a consultancy, it is expected to become a full-time position. SpaceX is poised to launch the first crewed mission of its Dragon spacecraft by June of this year. Gerstenmaier will play a key role in ensuring the safety of those missions and helping SpaceX secure certification for the Crew Dragon vehicle.

[...] Gerstenmaier and SpaceX have a complicated relationship, but he has supported Elon Musk at key moments during the company's development. In December 2008, Gerstenmaier saved a cash-strapped SpaceX with a Commercial Resupply Service contract for operational cargo missions to the International Space Station.

Gerstenmaier's decision to maintain two competitors as part of the commercial crew program in 2014 (SpaceX and Boeing) was also essential, although it was not a company-saving move. Boeing was lobbying hard for all of the funds and very nearly got them. Gerstenmaier was the deciding official who kept two providers in the competition. It has proven to be a smart decision, as SpaceX is poised to beat Boeing into space by months, if not years, at 50 percent less cost.

Previously:
With Gerstenmaier Gone, Decision to Fly NASA Astronauts May be More Contentious
New Head of Human Exploration at NASA Committed to Reaching the Moon by 2024
NASA Chief Says a Falcon Heavy Rocket Could Fly Humans to the Moon
2020s to Become the Decade of Lunar Re-Exploration
NASA's Chief of Human Spaceflight Rules Out Use of Falcon Heavy for Lunar Station


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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Thursday February 13 2020, @03:57AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday February 13 2020, @03:57AM (#957593) Journal

    I don't think there is any reason for fear. The company's culture is defined by people who actually want to see humanity venture out into space as seen in science fiction. Even if Gwynne Shotwell leaves and Elon Musk gets vaporized in a Starship explosion, SpaceX will probably follow the same trajectory. The MIC companies are fundamentally different.

    NASA is full of good people too, but they have their hands tied because their boss is Congress.

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