Can Bolden Banish NASA Blues?

摘要

Next week marks 40 years since NASA first put men on the moon. But trepidation about the space agency's future is dampening celebration of that milestone achievement. "NASA is not what it was," declared the chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee during last week's confirmation hearing for Charles Bolden Jr., President Barack Obama's choice to lead the agency.rnRather than inspiring the nation with wondrous feats of science and exploration, said Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), NASA is adrift. The agency's biggest fan on Capitol Hill agrees. "That magic is gone," bemoaned Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), who once flew on the soon-to-be-retired shuttle. Even Bolden, a 62-year-old retired Marine general and astronaut, joined the chorus of gloom during a hearing in which legislators lauded his fitness for the job.