Griffin, Michael

Brought BACK Stadt?did k olsen she work of m griffin? he hired fema clown rhode----<h1><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2007/06/04/13576/griffin-nasa-mission/">Griffin Altered NASA Mission Statement To Remove Global Warming Reference</a></h1>

By Amanda Terkel on Jun 4, 2007 at 3:27 pm

Last week, NPR asked NASA administrator Michael Griffin said that while

he was “aware that global warming exists,” he wasn’t sure whether it “<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/default/2007/05/31/13432/griffin-nasa-global-warming/">is a longterm concern or not.</a>” Griffin said he is “not sure that it is fair to say that it is a problem we must wrestle with.”

Griffin subsequently clarified his remarks, stating that protecting the earth against global warming is <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=nation_world&id=5354934">not in the agency’s mission statement</a>:

<blockquote>The agency is responsible for collecting data that is

used by the science community and policy makers as part of an ongoing

discussion regarding our planet’s evolving systems. It is NASA’s

responsibility to collect, analyze and release information. It is not NASA’s mission to make policy regarding possible climate change mitigation strategies.”</blockquote>

But from 2002-2006, it was. Part of NASA’s mission was to “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/science/22nasa.html">protect our home planet</a>“:

<blockquote>To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers … as only NASA can.</blockquote>

In Feb. 2006, the mission statement was “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/science/22nasa.html">quietly altered</a>”

to remove the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet.” Even a

year ago, NASA scientists predicted that because of the mission

statement revision, there would “be far less incentive to pursue

projects to improve understanding of terrestrial problems like climate

change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.” Top NASA climatologist James

Hansen called the deletion “<a href="http://www.columbia.edu/%7Ejeh1/worldwatch_nov2006.pdf">a shocking loss</a>,” because he had “been using the phrase since December 2005 to justify speaking out about the dangers of global warming.”

In contrast to the previous mission statement, the 2006 revision “was made at NASA headquarters <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/science/22nasa.html">without consulting the agency’s 19,000 employees</a> or informing them ahead of time.” Instead, it was submitted as part of the 2006 <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/%7Ejeh1/worldwatch_nov2006.pdf">Earth Science Research and Analysis budget</a>, which is a joint product of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and the NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin.

Therefore, Griffin is right. Unfortunately, protecting the earth

against climate change is not part of NASA’s mission anymore. But that’s

because he changed the mission. ===
<div id="mw-content-text" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en">Dr. Michael D. Griffin was nominated March 11, 2005, by President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George W. Bush</a> and confirmed by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Senate" title="U.S. Senate">U.S. Senate</a> to be Administrator of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Aeronautics_and_Space_Administration" title="National Aeronautics and Space Administration" class="mw-redirect">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050311-11.html">[1]</a>

Griffin began his duties as the 11th Administrator of NASA on April

14, 2005. As Administrator, he leads the NASA team and manages its

resources to advance the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/main/index.html">U.S. Vision for Space Exploration</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/griffin_bio.html">[2]</a>

<h2> Profiles</h2>

At the time of his nomination, Griffin was serving as Space

Department Head at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

"Prior to that, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/In-Q-Tel" title="In-Q-Tel">In-Q-Tel</a>, Inc. He also served in several positions within <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation" title="Orbital Sciences Corporation">Orbital Sciences Corporation</a>, including Chief Executive Officer of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Magellan_Systems,_Inc.&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Magellan Systems, Inc. (page does not exist)">Magellan Systems, Inc.</a> Earlier in his career, Dr. Griffin served as Chief Engineer at NASA and as Deputy for Technology at the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Strategic_Defense_Initiative" title="Strategic Defense Initiative">Strategic Defense Initiative</a> Organization." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050311-11.html">[3]</a>

Griffin "has been an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland,

Johns Hopkins University, and George Washington University, where he

taught courses in spacecraft design, applied mathematics, guidance and

navigation, compressible flow, computational fluid dynamics, spacecraft

attitude control, astrodynamics and introductory aerospace engineering.

He is the lead author of more than two dozen technical papers, as well

as the textbook, 'Space Vehicle Design.'" <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/griffin_bio.html">[4]</a>

"He received a bachelor's degree in Physics from Johns Hopkins

University; a master's degree in Aerospace Science from Catholic

University of America; a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the

University of Maryland; a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from

the University of Southern California; a master's degree in Applied

Physics from Johns Hopkins University; a master's degree in Business

Administration from Loyola College; and a master's degree in Civil

Engineering from The George Washington University." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050311-11.html">[5]</a>

<h2> Related SourceWatch articles</h2>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bush_administration" title="Bush administration">Bush administration</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bush_administration:_return_to_space" title="Bush administration: return to space">Bush administration: return to space</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Weaponization_of_space" title="Weaponization of space">weaponization of space</a></li></ul>

<h2> External articles</h2>

<ul><li>Amanda Terkel, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/04/griffin-nasa-mission/">"Griffin Altered NASA Mission Statement To Remove Global Warming Reference,"</a> Think Progress, June 4, 2007.</li></ul>

</div>

        
    
    
            
    <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Government_agencies_%28US%29" title="Category:Government agencies (US)">Government agencies (US)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Science" title="Category:Science">Science</a></li></ul></div></div><p><b>===<br /></b></p><p><b>wiki</b></p><p><b><b>Mic</b>hael Douglas Griffin</b> (born November 1, 1949 in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen,_Maryland" title="Aberdeen, Maryland">Aberdeen</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland" title="Maryland">Maryland</a>) is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States">American</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physicist" title="Physicist">physicist</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospace_engineer" title="Aerospace engineer" class="mw-redirect">aerospace engineer</a>. He served as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrator_of_the_National_Aeronautics_and_Space_Administration" title="Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration" class="mw-redirect">Administrator</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a>,

the U.S. space agency, from April 13, 2005, to January 20, 2009. As

NASA Administrator Griffin oversaw such areas as the future of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_spaceflight" title="Human spaceflight">human spaceflight</a>, the fate of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope" title="Hubble Space Telescope">Hubble telescope</a>

and NASA's role in understanding climate change. In April 2009 Griffin,

who has an academic background, was named eminent scholar and a

professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Alabama_in_Huntsville" title="University of Alabama in Huntsville">University of Alabama in Huntsville</a>.

Griffin had worked at NASA prior to serving as NASA Administrator,

including as Associate Administrator for Exploration. When he was

nominated as NASA chief, he was head of the Space Department at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johns_Hopkins_University" title="Johns Hopkins University">Johns Hopkins University</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_Physics_Laboratory" title="Applied Physics Laboratory">Applied Physics Laboratory</a> (APL) in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel,_Maryland" title="Laurel, Maryland">Laurel, Maryland</a>.

While he describes himself modestly as a "simple aerospace engineer

from a small town", Griffin has held several high-profile political

appointments. In 2007 he was included in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_100" title="Time 100">TIME 100</a>, the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-1">[1]</a>

Griffin's appointment as Administrator was associated with a

significant shift in the direction of the agency. He began signaling

intended changes at his Senate confirmation hearing.

<h2>Contents</h2>

</div>

<ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#Education">1 Education</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#Long-term_vision_for_space">2 Long-term vision for space</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#Questions_concerning_NASA_budget_management">3 Questions concerning NASA budget management</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#Struggles_to_complete_ISS_before_Shuttle_program_termination">4 Struggles to complete ISS before Shuttle program termination</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#Global_warming_controversy">5 Global warming controversy</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#Career">6 Career</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#Honors">7 Honors</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#References">8 References</a></li></ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2>Education</h2>

Dr. Griffin currently holds seven <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_degrees" title="Academic degrees" class="mw-redirect">academic degrees</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-a-2">[2]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-b-3">[3]</a> He has earned a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Arts" title="Bachelor of Arts">Bachelor of Arts</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics" title="Physics">physics</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johns_Hopkins_University" title="Johns Hopkins University">Johns Hopkins University</a> in 1971; a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Science_in_Engineering" title="Master of Science in Engineering">Master of Science in Engineering</a> in aerospace science from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_University_of_America" title="Catholic University of America" class="mw-redirect">Catholic University of America</a> in 1974; a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Philosophy" title="Doctor of Philosophy">Doctor of Philosophy</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospace_engineering" title="Aerospace engineering">aerospace engineering</a> from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Maryland" title="University of Maryland" class="mw-redirect">University of Maryland</a> in 1977; a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Science" title="Master of Science">Master of Science</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering" title="Electrical engineering">electrical engineering</a> from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Southern_California" title="University of Southern California">University of Southern California</a> in 1979; a Master of Science in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_physics" title="Applied physics">applied physics</a> from Johns Hopkins University in 1983; a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Business_Administration" title="Master of Business Administration">Master of Business Administration</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyola_University_Maryland" title="Loyola University Maryland">Loyola University Maryland</a> in 1990; and a Master of Science in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_engineering" title="Civil engineering">civil engineering</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_University" title="George Washington University">George Washington University</a> in 1998.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-a-2">[2]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-b-3">[3]</a>

Dr. Griffin was also working toward a Master of Science in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science" title="Computer science">computer science</a>

at Johns Hopkins University before being appointed as NASA chief. He

has worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab and APL. Dr. Griffin has been a

professor at various universities, teaching courses in spacecraft

design, applied mathematics, guidance and navigation, compressible flow,

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_fluid_dynamics" title="Computational fluid dynamics">computational fluid dynamics</a>,

spacecraft attitude control, astrodynamics, and introductory aerospace

engineering. He is the lead author of more than two dozen technical

papers, and is co-author with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_R._French" title="James R. French">James R. French</a> of the graduate astronautical engineering textbook, "Space Vehicle Design". <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1563475391" class="internal mw-magiclink-isbn">ISBN 1-56347-539-1</a> Dr. Griffin is also a general aviation flight instructor and pilot, and part-owner of a small airplane, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_American_AA-5" title="Grumman American AA-5">Grumman Tiger</a>.

<h2>Long-term vision for space</h2>

In 2004 testimony to Congress on the future of human spaceflight, he

stated, "for me the single overarching goal of human space flight is the

human settlement of the Solar System, and eventually beyond. I can

think of no lesser purpose sufficient to justify the difficulty of the

enterprise, and no greater purpose is possible." In his testimony he

also advocated heavy-lift launch capabilities, development of space

qualified nuclear power systems, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_situ" title="In situ">in situ</a> resource utilization, and cost-effective medium-size transport to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit" title="Low Earth orbit">low Earth orbit</a>.

Griffin told a Senate subcommittee that the first book he ever

received was a book on astronomy and space when he was five years old,

and "I was absolutely fascinated by it, and from that time forward, I

never considered for myself anything other than being a scientist or

engineer or mathematician and involving myself in the space business."

Griffin has collaborated with several space advocacy organizations such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Space_Society" title="National Space Society">National Space Society</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Society" title="Mars Society">Mars Society</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_Society" title="Planetary Society" class="mw-redirect">Planetary Society</a>:

<ul><li>Griffin and astronaut <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_K._Garriott" title="Owen K. Garriott">Owen K. Garriott</a>

were the team co-leaders for a study commissioned by the Planetary

Society entitled "Extending Human Presence Into the Solar System" in

Griffin cited this study in his first press conference as NASA

Administrator to answer a question about sending humans to Mars, saying

"I would urge you to download that report from the website because I

don't have any better thinking to offer you than what I put into that

report."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-4">[4]</a></li><li>Griffin serves on the Steering Committee of the Mars Society, which is dedicated to human settlement of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars" title="Mars">Mars</a>. Mars Society president <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Zubrin" title="Robert Zubrin">Robert Zubrin</a> recounts in his book, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_for_Mars" title="The Case for Mars">The Case for Mars</a>,

that in 1991, after Zubrin presented his ideas about a Mars mission

architecture with Griffin, then NASA Associate Administrator for

Exploration, Griffin presented these ideas to then NASA Administrator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Goldin" title="Daniel Goldin">Daniel Goldin</a>.</li></ul>

On September 28, 2007, Michael Griffin said that NASA aims to put a man on Mars by 2037.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-5">[5]</a> In an interview with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">The Guardian</a>

in July 2008 Griffin stated that an opportunity to push on to Mars by

extending the Apollo program was squandered by a change in focus to

Shuttle and space station programs that only reached orbit: "I spent

some time analysing what we could have done had we used the budgets we

received to explore the capabilities inherent in the Apollo hardware

after it was built. The short answer is we would have been on Mars 15 or

20 years ago, instead of circling endlessly in low Earth orbit."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-6">[6]</a>

<h2>Questions concerning NASA budget management</h2>

Griffin has been criticized by space research organizations such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Ames_Research_Center" title="NASA Ames Research Center" class="mw-redirect">NASA Ames Research Center</a> life sciences group for shifting portions of NASA's budget from science to manned spaceflight.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-nasa-7">[7]</a>

Griffin had stated that he would not shift "one thin dime" of funding

from science to human spaceflight, but less than six months later, in

February 2006, after NASA Constellation funding did not reach requested

levels, NASA revealed a budget that reduced space research funding by

about 25%, including indefinite deferrals of planned programs such as

the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Icy_Moons_Orbiter" title="Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter">Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_Planet_Finder" title="Terrestrial Planet Finder">Terrestrial Planet Finder</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Interferometry_Mission" title="Space Interferometry Mission">Space Interferometry Mission</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-8">[8]</a> The logic was that funding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation_program" title="Constellation program">Project Constellation</a>, a presidentially mandated program, was the top priority of the space agency.

Funding for a New York company to research the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Prometheus" title="Project Prometheus">Prometheus</a>

space nuclear program has also been put on hold, although Griffin has

said he is anxious to pursue Prometheus after the earlier-priority

development of the new spacecraft is completed.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>]

Earlier, in November 2005, funding for life science research conducted

largely out of Ames Research Center was cut by 80%, prompting

representatives of the Ames life sciences group to write a scathing

letter to Griffin criticizing this cut.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-nasa-7">[7]</a>

The NASA field centers focused mainly on science rather than on human spaceflight, such as Ames and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Research_Center" title="Glenn Research Center">Glenn Research Center</a>, have seen general budgetary downsizing, and many science contracts with outside researchers have been canceled.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-9">[9]</a>

Griffin attributed these cuts, along with cuts in the human spaceflight

budget, as being necessitated by a $3.2 billion shortfall.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-10">[10]</a> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Research_Council" title="United States National Research Council">National Research Council</a> also concluded that NASA's total funding has not been enough to fulfill all its mandates and remain strong in science.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-11">[11]</a>

However, during Administrator Griffin's term, science budgets were, as a

percentage of NASA's total budget, inline with those during Project

Apollo. There has been some discussion, after the release of the Summary

Report by the Human Space Flight Committee<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-12">[12]</a>

that NASA has not been funded sufficiently to pursue a strong science

program while continuing to focus on aeronautics and space exploration,

the two key mission of the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration.

Limitations on NASA's budget include a mandated continuation of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle" title="Space Shuttle">Space Shuttle</a> program, including safety upgrades and testing; the mandated construction of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station" title="International Space Station">International Space Station</a>;

the mandated development of the Vision for Space Exploration

architecture; programs outside of human spaceflight, consisting of

science research and aeronautics research; and an ever-increasing share

of NASA's budget devoted to line-item earmarks sometimes characterized

as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel" title="Pork barrel">pork barrel</a> spending.

<h2>Struggles to complete ISS before Shuttle program termination</h2>

The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_for_Space_Exploration" title="Vision for Space Exploration">Vision for Space Exploration</a>,

announced by President Bush in 2004, mandates that NASA must use the

space shuttle to finish construction of the International Space Station

by the end of 2010. By June 2006, due to ongoing concerns with the

safety of the Shuttle in the wake of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia" title="Space Shuttle Columbia">Columbia</a>

disaster, only one flight had been performed. Per the Presidential

mandate of the Vision for Space Exploration, Administrator Griffin

mandated that 18 more shuttle flights be performed in the remaining four

and a half years.

Griffin approved the launch of the space shuttle <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Discovery" title="Space Shuttle Discovery">Discovery</a> for July 2006 to perform the second return-to-flight mission, overriding the NASA Chief Safety and Mission Assurance Officer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_D._O%27Connor" title="Bryan D. O'Connor">Bryan O'Connor</a>. Although O'Connor said there were still unresolved concerns that foam insulation could break off of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_external_tank" title="Space Shuttle external tank">external fuel tank</a>

and damage the orbiter, Griffin characterized the risk as acceptable,

arguing that it would be better to test one change at a time. With that

flight NASA was testing the removal of protuberance air-load ramps from

cable and fuel line fittings on the exterior of the external fuel tank.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-13">[13]</a>

This launch proved that the changes made to prevent shedding of foam at

the air-load ramps were successful, allowing the Shuttle program to

work towards completion of the ISS by the presidentially mandated year

of 2010.

<h2>Global warming controversy</h2>

In a follow-up interview to his May 31 interview with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Public_Radio" title="National Public Radio" class="mw-redirect">NPR</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Inskeep" title="Steve Inskeep">Steve Inskeep</a> airing June 1, 2007, on NPR News' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_Edition" title="Morning Edition">Morning Edition</a>, Griffin said the following:

<dl><dd>"I have no doubt that global—that a trend of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming" title="Global warming">global warming</a>

exists. I am not sure that it is fair to say that it is a problem we

must wrestle with. To assume that it is a problem is to assume that the

state of Earth's climate today is the optimal climate, the best climate

that we could have or ever have had and that we need to take steps to

make sure that it doesn't change.</dd></dl>

<dl><dd>First of all, I don't think it's within the power of human beings to

assure that the climate does not change, as millions of years of

history have shown, and second of all, I guess I would ask which human

beings - where and when - are to be accorded the privilege of deciding

that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is

the best climate for all other human beings. I think that's a rather

arrogant position for people to take."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-14">[14]</a></dd></dl>

Some climate scientists referred to his remarks as ignorant.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-msnbc.msn.com-15">[15]</a> In particular, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E.Hansen" title="James E. Hansen" class="mw-redirect">James E. Hansen</a>,

NASA's top official on climate change, said Griffin’s comments showed

"arrogance and ignorance", as millions will likely be harmed by global

warming.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-16">[16]</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Mahlman" title="Jerry Mahlman" class="mw-redirect">Jerry Mahlman</a>, a scientist at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_for_Atmospheric_Research" title="National Center for Atmospheric Research">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a>, said that Griffin was either "totally clueless" or "a deep antiglobal warming ideologue".<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-17">[17]</a>

In a closed-door meeting on June 4, 2007 at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Propulsion_Laboratory" title="Jet Propulsion Laboratory">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>, Griffin said:

<dl><dd>"Unfortunately, this is an issue which has become far more political

than technical, and it would have been well for me to have stayed out

of it." "All I can really do is apologize to all you guys.... I feel

badly that I caused this amount of controversy over something like

this."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-msnbc.msn.com-15">[15]</a></dd></dl>

<h2>Career</h2>

Griffin's prior experience includes working at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_Physics_Laboratory" title="Applied Physics Laboratory">Applied Physics Laboratory</a> (APL) in the 1980s, when he helped design the successful Delta 180 series of missile-defense technology satellites for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative_Organization" title="Strategic Defense Initiative Organization" class="mw-redirect">Strategic Defense Initiative Organization</a>.

After leaving APL in 1986, he served as the Strategic Defense

Initiative Organization’s deputy for technology, then as the chief

engineer and later Associate Administrator for Exploration at NASA

Headquarters.

In the years following his first tour with NASA, Griffin was president and chief operating officer of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-Q-Tel" title="In-Q-Tel">In-Q-Tel</a>, a private, nonprofit enterprise funded by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency" title="Central Intelligence Agency">Central Intelligence Agency</a>

to identify and invest in companies developing cutting-edge

technologies that serve national security interests. Griffin’s resume

also includes leadership roles at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation" title="Orbital Sciences Corporation">Orbital Sciences Corporation</a> and technical positions at NASA’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Propulsion_Laboratory" title="Jet Propulsion Laboratory">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> and at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Sciences_Corporation" title="Computer Sciences Corporation">Computer Sciences Corporation</a>.

Michael Griffin was formally sworn in by Vice President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney" title="Dick Cheney">Dick Cheney</a> on June 28, 2005.</div>

</div>

Before his appointment as NASA Administrator, Griffin was president-elect of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Aeronautics_and_Astronautics" title="American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics">American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics</a> (AIAA). He is a member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Astronautical_Society" title="American Astronautical Society">American Astronautical Society</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Academy_of_Astronautics" title="International Academy of Astronautics">International Academy of Astronautics</a>.

In 2004 Michael Griffin was named head of the Space Department at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Johns_Hopkins_University" title="The Johns Hopkins University" class="mw-redirect">The Johns Hopkins University</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_Physics_Laboratory" title="Applied Physics Laboratory">Applied Physics Laboratory</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-buckley-18">[18]</a>

On March 11, 2005, President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush" title="George W. Bush">George W. Bush</a> announced his intention to nominate Michael Griffin to serve as the 11th Administrator of NASA. He was confirmed by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">Senate</a> on April 13, 2005. Griffin was subsequently sworn in by Vice-President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney" title="Dick Cheney">Dick Cheney</a>,

a rarity for a NASA Administrator and signifying the importance NASA

held to the Bush Administration. The Administration even recalled its

former NASA transition team director and chief of staff, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtney_Stadd" title="Courtney Stadd">Courtney Stadd</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-19">[19]</a> to assist Administrator Griffin.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-20">[20]</a>

On March 13, 2008, Michael Griffin was awarded the title of 74th honorary chancellor at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Southern_College" title="Florida Southern College">Florida Southern College</a> during its annual Founder's Day Ceremony.

It was widely speculated that Griffin hoped to keep his job under President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a> so that Constellation and NASA's other programs could maintain their steady progress.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-21">[21]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-22">[22]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-23">[23]</a> In a phone call on the day after the election, Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Nelson" title="Bill Nelson">Bill Nelson</a> (D, FL) requested of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lori_Garver" title="Lori Garver">Lori Garver</a>,

who led the incoming Obama Administration's Transition Team, that the

Administration allow Griffin to remain as NASA Administrator to provide

programmatic and management continuity. However, his resignation

(required of and offered by all agency heads due to an incoming

President) was accepted. In part, this was because of disagreements

between Griffin and Garver over the state of Project Constellation.

Griffin gave a farewell address to NASA on 16 January 2009, in which he

praised NASA for its recovery from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster" title="Space Shuttle Columbia disaster">Columbia disaster</a> and urged employees to support the new administrator, whoever it may be.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-24">[24]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-25">[25]</a> He left office the day President Obama was inaugurated.

On April 14, 2009, Michael Griffin accepted a position as eminent

scholar and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Alabama_in_Huntsville" title="University of Alabama in Huntsville">University of Alabama in Huntsville</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-26">[26]</a> The university established the eminent scholar position in 1986.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D.Griffin#cite_note-27">[27]</a>

Griffin has established the Center for System Studies at the

university, which will address the need for "systems thinking" in

industry and the government. System studies involve research to

understand the many complex ways that technology, nature, people, and

society interact so that the workings of an engineered solution are more

predictable and more desirable. UA Huntsville is a Space Grant

university, and has a history of cooperation with both NASA at the

nearby <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Space_Flight_Center" title="Marshall Space Flight Center">Marshall Space Flight Center</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Army_Aviation_and_Missile_Command" title="U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command" class="mw-redirect">U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redstone_Arsenal" title="Redstone Arsenal">Redstone Arsenal</a>. The campus serves as the anchor tenant in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cummings_Research_Park" title="Cummings Research Park">Cummings Research Park</a>, the second largest university research park in the United States.

In a 2010 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Foundation" title="Space Foundation">Space Foundation</a> survey, Griffin was ranked as the #7 most popular space hero.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-28">[28]</a>

On August 14, 2012, the Schafer Corporation announced that Michael

Griffin would assume the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at

the company.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-29">[29]</a>

The Schafer Corporation is a "leading-edge technology company providing

high-quality products and professional services to government and

industry customers". It was founded in 1972.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-30">[30]</a>

<h2>Honors</h2>

Griffin is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the

Defense Department's highest award which can be conferred on a

non-government employee, Distinguished Public Service Medal (1986); the

AIAA Space Systems Medal (1988), the Significant Technical

Accomplishment Award (Delta 183 Mission Team) from the American Defense

Preparedness Association (1989); the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal

(1994); the Goddard Astronautics Award (2007); and selection by Time Magazine

as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2008. Griffin received the

Rotary National Award for Space Achievement's National Space Trophy in

May 2009.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-31">[31]</a>

On May 22, 2011, Griffin was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Notre_Dame" title="University of Notre Dame">University of Notre Dame</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin#cite_note-32">[32]</a>