[net.space] More on NASA

flinn@seismo.UUCP (E. A. Flinn) (01/26/84)

"You can take all the impact that science considerations have on funding 
decisions at NASA, put them in the navel of a flea, and have room left 
over for a caraway seed and Tony Calio's heart."

This paraphrase of something Fred Allen said a long time ago is
certainly true: at levels where people drop the word 'millions' from
conversation about budgets ("oh, give them their eighty dollars and
let's see what they can do with it") scientific justification for 
proposed projects is usually necessary but never sufficient.  
Dr. A. J. Calio, now Deputy Administrator of NOAA, was Associate 
Administrator for Applications in the late 1970's - an able and fair, 
but very tough, guy.