Good For Dr. Griffin
Apr 14th, 2009 by Jonathan Goff
I just saw an news article stating that former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin will be taking a position as a professor at University of Alabama, Huntsville. In spite of all the disagreements I’ve had over the years with Dr. Griffin’s policies as NASA Admin, I have to say I’m genuinely pleased by this news. I don’t think he was a very good NASA Administrator, but I think his record as an engineering academic speak for themselves. I hope he does well in his new position, and I hope that in the end Dr Griffin is remembered more for the things he did mostly right (COTS and advocating for propellant depots are the two main ones that come to mind).
I am not sure if this was really his intention, but he managed to put a stake through the STS. There will be a window of opportunity between 2010 and 2017 for private industry to prove that nasa-owned launch vehicles are a bad idea. If they succeed, that will be his real legacy.