Friday, 21 February 1992 Washington, DC
1. AARON COHEN IS APPOINTED ACTING DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR OF
NASA.
The Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston
will fill the vacancy in the number two position at NASA created
by the abrupt resignation of J.R. Thompson last fall. In
reality, Cohen, a savvy NASA insider, is the interim replacement
for Richard Truly, the NASA Administrator who was fired last
week. Truly does not officially leave until 1 April, but in this
town lame ducks get even less respect than acting deputies.
Picking and confirming a new Administrator could take months.
Meanwhile, the Agency needs someone urgently to make its case to
Congress. Cohen, who is experienced and respected, should be an
ideal interim caretaker.
2. DOES THE SACKING OF TRULY SIGNAL THE POLITICIZATION OF
NASA?
Stories circulating in Washington link Lowell Wood's
name to the changes in NASA. You remember Wood. He brought us
Excalibur, the fearsome Star Wars x-ray laser named for another
mythical weapon; it never produced enough x rays to check luggage
at the airport. He also dreamed up Brilliant Pebbles (one
congressman calls them "loose marbles"). And then there was the
inflatable Kevlar space craft, or "flying condom," that could be
wadded up and shot into space for peanuts. Wood even conducted
an exciting cold fusion experiment (it blew up!). He is the guy
to see for quick, cheap solutions. Now Wood has the ear of Dan
Quayle. According to Aviation Week, he is pushing a plan to
reform the space program and transfer control of NASA to the
White house. A lot of people think reform is overdue; this may
not be what they had in mind.
3. "AFTER THE COLD WAR: LIVING WITH LOWER DEFENSE
SPENDING,"
a report just released by the Office of
Technology Assessment, says the transition to post-cold war
economy may not be easy. Compared to post-Vietnam cuts, the
defense cuts are expected to be modest, but the deep recession
will magnify the problems. Although there could be severe
dislocations, it would seem that if spending remains capped,
total employment should be roughly unchanged by shifting the
money from defense to domestic spending programs.
4. CONGRESSIONAL JAPAN BASHERS ASK ABOUT TIES WITH
UNIVERSITIES.
Last week at MIT, the Bush Administration
launched its National Technology Initiative to promote investment
in high-tech fields. At the same time, university presidents
around the country were receiving official-looking letters from
Congress requesting any information on the "criteria for sharing
technology with foreign entities which have contributed
financially to your institution." Ironically, it was MIT that was
criticized two years ago for its Industrial Liason Program, which
was subscribed to by a number of Japanese manufacturers. The
"congressional" letters were from the Republican Research
Committee, a fiercely protectionist political group. One of the
signers was Rep. Helen Bently (R-MD), best remembered for
publicly smashing a Toshiba television set with a sledgehammer
after Toshiba had violated export agreements.
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