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American Morning

Interview with NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe

Aired January 30, 2004 - 07:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: News from space now. It is not back to full health, but the comeback of the Mars rover Spirit is well under way, we're told. NASA releasing an image from the rover yesterday, the first transmitted since it started malfunctioning about a week ago. Engineers are trying to restore the Spirit to full working order.
Meanwhile, the twin, Opportunity, the other rover, is scheduled to roll off onto the Mars surface possibly this weekend.

Now, all of the excitement surrounding NASA's Mars mission is tempered this week by the anniversary of the Columbia disaster. It was a year ago this Sunday that the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry.

NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe is with us from Washington to talk about a number of issues surrounding the agency and also what's happening on Mars.

Nice to have you back. Good morning to you.

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: Well, thanks, Bill. Good morning. How are you?

HEMMER: I'm doing just fine. Thanks.

Before we talk about the history and what this means to NASA, let's talk about what you are getting from Spirit. It's said to be a self-portrait that was sent back yesterday. What does that say right now about the ability of this particular rover to function?

O'KEEFE: Well, it's on the comeback. The best part about it is, you know, it's on the mend. And what was a capability that are pronounced to be in critical condition just a week ago is now slowly making its way back into full operational status. So, we're really pleased with the progress.

HEMMER: Are you saying today it will be 100 percent operative at some point soon?

O'KEEFE: They're pretty optimistic at the Mars Expedition Rover Team, but we'll see towards the end. But it's on its way back to that full capability, and we'll see how far we can get.

HEMMER: We can't go that far just yet, you're saying, though?

O'KEEFE: That's right. HEMMER: Let's talk about the Hubble telescope. This continues to be, well, let's say, a sort of argument. You believe at this point any repairs to Hubble should not require a trip, a manned mission by way of shuttle. Why do you believe it's not safe to do that or not worth it?

O'KEEFE: Well, Bill, it's not an argument at all. It's just a matter of following the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report, which required a special set of procedures and training and tools and instruments and launching windows and so forth, and the ability to do an on-orbit rescue maneuver in the event of a problem. When you put all of those together, any one of those problems individually, or any one of those issues, would not be insurmountable, but collectively it raises the substantially risk higher than any other mission that would go to the International Space Station, which is what all of the rest them are until we retire the shuttle.

HEMMER: You say this isn't an argument...

O'KEEFE: So, consequently, it's my judgment...

HEMMER: Your judgment...

O'KEEFE: It's my judgment that it's just the risk is too high.

HEMMER: It's going to be reviewed, though, is that right?

O'KEEFE: No. What Senator Mikulski has asked -- and I've asked Hal Gehman, the chairman of the Accident Investigation Board, to look at -- is to look at his recommendations relative to his view, a perspective of what he thinks may be relevant in making a decision like this. In the end it's a judgment call, and until such time that someone wants to be in the capacity to make this judgment call instead of me, unfortunately it's my responsibility to have to live with something like that.

HEMMER: All right. Let's talk about the week that you're remembering now, Columbia and two other incidents during the same time of year, the same week here that NASA has been affected. I know you got quite emotional this past week. What it's been like for the space agency, knowing the measure of success you've had on Mars, but also remembering what you call the failures of the past?

O'KEEFE: Sure. It reminds you of what a thin line there is between great success and great tragedy. And every single day we are reminded of that. And what we're seeing here just in the course of a year is two very extreme circumstances of great success, as we've seen in the last few weeks, you know, and on the opposite occasion, a year ago, the horrific tragedy that occurred as a consequence of the loss of Columbia.

HEMMER: Going back to 1967, 1986, and 2003 from a year ago. Thank you, Sean O'Keefe down in D.C. Good luck to you, OK?

O'KEEFE: Thank you, Bill. HEMMER: We'll talk again.

O'KEEFE: Appreciate it very much.

HEMMER: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired January 30, 2004 - 07:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: News from space now. It is not back to full health, but the comeback of the Mars rover Spirit is well under way, we're told. NASA releasing an image from the rover yesterday, the first transmitted since it started malfunctioning about a week ago. Engineers are trying to restore the Spirit to full working order.
Meanwhile, the twin, Opportunity, the other rover, is scheduled to roll off onto the Mars surface possibly this weekend.

Now, all of the excitement surrounding NASA's Mars mission is tempered this week by the anniversary of the Columbia disaster. It was a year ago this Sunday that the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry.

NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe is with us from Washington to talk about a number of issues surrounding the agency and also what's happening on Mars.

Nice to have you back. Good morning to you.

SEAN O'KEEFE, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: Well, thanks, Bill. Good morning. How are you?

HEMMER: I'm doing just fine. Thanks.

Before we talk about the history and what this means to NASA, let's talk about what you are getting from Spirit. It's said to be a self-portrait that was sent back yesterday. What does that say right now about the ability of this particular rover to function?

O'KEEFE: Well, it's on the comeback. The best part about it is, you know, it's on the mend. And what was a capability that are pronounced to be in critical condition just a week ago is now slowly making its way back into full operational status. So, we're really pleased with the progress.

HEMMER: Are you saying today it will be 100 percent operative at some point soon?

O'KEEFE: They're pretty optimistic at the Mars Expedition Rover Team, but we'll see towards the end. But it's on its way back to that full capability, and we'll see how far we can get.

HEMMER: We can't go that far just yet, you're saying, though?

O'KEEFE: That's right. HEMMER: Let's talk about the Hubble telescope. This continues to be, well, let's say, a sort of argument. You believe at this point any repairs to Hubble should not require a trip, a manned mission by way of shuttle. Why do you believe it's not safe to do that or not worth it?

O'KEEFE: Well, Bill, it's not an argument at all. It's just a matter of following the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report, which required a special set of procedures and training and tools and instruments and launching windows and so forth, and the ability to do an on-orbit rescue maneuver in the event of a problem. When you put all of those together, any one of those problems individually, or any one of those issues, would not be insurmountable, but collectively it raises the substantially risk higher than any other mission that would go to the International Space Station, which is what all of the rest them are until we retire the shuttle.

HEMMER: You say this isn't an argument...

O'KEEFE: So, consequently, it's my judgment...

HEMMER: Your judgment...

O'KEEFE: It's my judgment that it's just the risk is too high.

HEMMER: It's going to be reviewed, though, is that right?

O'KEEFE: No. What Senator Mikulski has asked -- and I've asked Hal Gehman, the chairman of the Accident Investigation Board, to look at -- is to look at his recommendations relative to his view, a perspective of what he thinks may be relevant in making a decision like this. In the end it's a judgment call, and until such time that someone wants to be in the capacity to make this judgment call instead of me, unfortunately it's my responsibility to have to live with something like that.

HEMMER: All right. Let's talk about the week that you're remembering now, Columbia and two other incidents during the same time of year, the same week here that NASA has been affected. I know you got quite emotional this past week. What it's been like for the space agency, knowing the measure of success you've had on Mars, but also remembering what you call the failures of the past?

O'KEEFE: Sure. It reminds you of what a thin line there is between great success and great tragedy. And every single day we are reminded of that. And what we're seeing here just in the course of a year is two very extreme circumstances of great success, as we've seen in the last few weeks, you know, and on the opposite occasion, a year ago, the horrific tragedy that occurred as a consequence of the loss of Columbia.

HEMMER: Going back to 1967, 1986, and 2003 from a year ago. Thank you, Sean O'Keefe down in D.C. Good luck to you, OK?

O'KEEFE: Thank you, Bill. HEMMER: We'll talk again.

O'KEEFE: Appreciate it very much.

HEMMER: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.