Official Says Probe May Lead to NASA Exodus, Cripple Space Program

Richard G. Smith, director of the Kennedy Space Center, said Saturday that the presidential commission’s investigation into the Challenger explosion has raised doubts about the space agency’s integrity and may lead to a personnel exodus that would “cripple our nation’s space capabilities.”

“I have great concerns that we have a potential for the loss of a lot of key people,” Smith said.

Smith, who criticized the commission in an interview published Saturday in the Washington Post, said he had not intended “in any way to make a frontal attack on the integrity or capability” of the panel.

Not in Accord With Panel

He refused Saturday to respond to reporters’ requests for interviews but did issue a statement, released by NASA, in which he reiterated that he does not “completely agree” with the panel’s decision to investigate problems within NASA management before determining the technical failure that caused the Jan. 28 explosion.

” . . . It has been my experience that you first delve into all the technical details and understand technically why a failure occurred and then subsequently follow up with the rationale and management actions . . . “ Smith said.

But he shifted much of his previously reported criticism of the commission onto the press. He said that his “biggest problem” with the commission’s investigation is “the partial reporting” by the news media of statements by commissioners critical of the space agency.

Integrity Questioned

“This process has led a significant portion of the general public to question the integrity of the agency and specific individuals within the agency as well as (that) of some of the contractors,” he said.

The presidential commission, headed by former Secretary of State William P. Rogers, has already concluded that the space agency’s decision-making process prior to the launching of the Challenger was “flawed.” The commission arrived at the conclusion after hearing testimony that key National Aeronautics and Space Administration administrators who decided to launch had not been informed by subordinates that engineers strongly objected to the liftoff because of safety concerns.

Smith said that, after the shuttle program gets under way again, “you will see many key people leaving the government.”

“Perhaps that process will cripple our nation’s space capabilities,” he said. “Speaking as a government employee, over the last two or three years it has become less and less attractive to remain in government service.

“Many changes in the personnel management scheme, including proposals to greatly modify the retirement system, have created an environment that makes government employment much less attractive to highly qualified people than in the past,” he said.

In the earlier interview, Smith blamed the news media for generating pressures to launch the shuttles.

‘A Bunch of Idiots’

“Every time there was a delay, the press would say, ‘Look, there’s another delay . . . . Here’s a bunch of idiots who can’t even handle a launch schedule,’ ” he said. “You think that doesn’t have an impact? If you think it doesn’t, you’re stupid.”

In his statement Saturday, he called for the press to “keep the perspective correct and proper.”

“I think we must keep in mind that we are dealing with an accident . . . “ he said. “It should be emphasized that this is not an investigation into criminal activity or defrauding of the government, but one into an accident that occurred to people thinking they were doing the best job they knew how.”