National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
August 2003
Communication for the Information Technology Age
O'Keefe outlines NASA's approach to return to flight
An enthusiastic, standing-roomonly crowd gave NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe a warm welcome at a rescience mission, when he learned of the loss. "It was a moment in my life I will never, ever forget . . . a defining moment for all of us," he remarked. As NASA struggled to come to grips with the tragedy, there were "some amazing, stunning, inspirational aspects to this that no one could ever have anticipated," said O'Keefe. "People stepped in and did things that even they may not have thought they were capable of doing," O'Keefe said. He praised those who responded for "their continued professionalism" in carrying out the agency's charter and doing what was necessary. O'Keefe praised Hubbard, acknowledging "his performance and dedication to the effort as a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). You've done an amazing job," he said. O'Keefe asked Hubbard to serve on the board just a few hours after the disaster and the CAIB held its first discussions within eight hours of the loss of Columbia. Hubbard was chosen "because of his past experiences with a range of other challenges this agency has confronted," O'Keefe said. "He was an obvious, natural choice." O'Keefe acknowledged that Hubbard's absence just a few months after being named Ames' director created a leadership challenge at Ames. "His contributions have been enormous,
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NASA photo by Dominic Hart
Space directors meet the media
NASA photo by Eric James
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe answers a question at the conclusion of his presentation on July 17.
cent all-hands meeting at Ames. O'Keefe used the occasion to discuss the agency's plans for 'Return to Flight' and to tout the leadership skills of Ames' senior management, including those of incoming Deputy Director G. Allen Flynt. Ames Center Director G. Scott Hubbard introduced the Administrator and observed, "It is extremely important that we do everything we can as an agency, as one NASA, to return to flight and address all the issues . . . so we can do that safely." "We have been asked to explore and discover on behalf of the American people," said O'Keefe in describing NASA's mandate. "That's a pretty hefty responsibility, but also a pretty wideopen challenge to do things very creatively. It's a remarkable charter. It's one that gives us a tremendous license to do some absolutely fascinating things." O'Keefe noted that over the course of NASA's 45-year history, the "agency has been defined by its unbelievable, stunning successes and its really horrific and deeply tragic losses." This is the definition of what exploration and discovery are all about, he said. On the morning of Feb. 1, O'Keefe was at Kennedy Space Center, awaiting the return of Columbia from its 16-day

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