Some in NASA Held to Question Space Station

Astronauts and middle-level engineers at NASA are concerned that the space agency’s plans for a manned space station are overly ambitious, an industry magazine says.

The concerns, expressed in a briefing paper obtained by Aviation Week & Space Technology, have intensified the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s efforts to design a smaller and simpler space station than originally planned, Aviation Week reports in next week’s issue.

The briefing paper, which has been presented to various NASA and contractor managers, says “morale is poor” in the space station program, the magazine said in its report, made available Friday.

“People do not ‘believe’ in this station,” the paper said. “There is great concern that NASA is misrepresenting what we can do, to the Congress and the public.”

A Feeling of Moral Wrong

There is a “strong feeling that to press on with intent to change (the existing design later) is politically and morally wrong,” it said.

The paper was compiled by Col. C. Gordon Fullerton, who told the magazine that he might have overstated his concerns for “shock effect.”