Bush May Name Panel of Experts to Look Into Glitches at NASA

President Bush is considering the appointment of an independent commission to review NASA operations in the wake of problems that have shaken confidence in the nation’s space program, Administration officials said.

Officials said Sunday Bush may decide this week to name a panel of experts to conduct a broad assessment of NASA programs, one of several options pursued in recent days by Vice President Dan Quayle, chairman of the National Space Council.

Among the spate of embarrassing revelations from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the past month: The Hubble Space Telescope, touted as a revolutionary new eye on the universe, turns out to be near-sighted. Days later, the space shuttle fleet, the centerpiece of the U.S. space program, is grounded by an elusive fuel leak.

At the same time, reports indicate the space station Freedom, envisioned as leading space exploration into the next century, may be too heavy and need too many repairs to be feasible.

Regarding the appointment of a review panel, one Administration official said: “To the degree that a shuttle screw-up or the Hubble failure undermines public confidence in the program doesn’t help, but it’s not the main focus.”

The White House could provide no timetable for a decision by Bush on steps to address the concerns.

Officials acknowledged the proposal for an independent review was prompted in part by worries about funding prospects on Capitol Hill at a time when Bush is urging Congress to back projects estimated to cost upward of $300 billion.