THE year 2005 is set to be one of the toughest for the US space agency NASA. It must deliver on its promise to get the space shuttle fleet back into the air by the middle of the year. With its international partners, it must find a way to keep the International Space Station functioning with a skeleton crew. And it needs a new leader, following the surprise resignation in December of its chief, Sean O'Keefe.
Whoever is chosen will be taking on a tough job. As well as the immediate challenges, he or she must focus NASA's sights on longer-term goals. The most notable of these is the implementation of President George W. Bush's Vision for Space Exploration, his plan to send people to the moon and beyond. To achieve this, NASA will need more than just smart and dedicated people, technological know-how and adequate funding. The key will ...
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