Mike Griffin to Unveil Non-Partisan Space Policy Goals

Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin

AIAA President to Call for Space Exploration Policy Goals Which Transcend Partisan Political Concerns

Event Features AIAA President Dr. Michael Griffin

What:

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will call on Congress to establish space exploration policy goals which transcend partisan political differences, enhancing the future of the US space program and its ability to cooperate more fully with its international partners.

When:

12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 22

Where:

The Marquette Room, L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L’Enfant Plaza Southwest, Washington, D.C. held in conjunction with the Global Space Exploration Conference, May 22 – 24

Who:

Dr. Michael Griffin, president, AIAA, and King-McDonald Eminent Scholar and Professor, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Editor’s Note: This ought to be interesting. Griffin has done nothing but try to derail the current Administration’s space agenda. He is a member of space advisory board for Mitt Romney’s campaign. And he’d probably like nothing more than to have his old job back as NASA administrator in a Romney government.

All these activities are within his rights as an American. I’m just not sure he should be espousing on  what qualifies as non-partisan space policy goals on behalf of an organization that is supposed to be largely above politics. He has to wear two hats here. It will be interesting to see how he manages it.

I have similar misgivings about Eric Anderson, who is also advising Romney on space policy while serving as chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. He’s working to get Romney elected at the same time the federation he chairs needs all hands on deck to help push the Obama Administration’s space policy through Congress.  The more successful the federation is at the latter, the more difficult the former objective becomes.