STATEMENT OF
THE HONORABLE DANIEL S. GOLDIN
ADMINISTRATOR
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
SEPTEMBER 25, 1997
10:00 A.M. EDT

Ever since becoming NASA Administrator in 1992, I have worked 
hard to make the agency operate faster, better and cheaper.  
The dedicated people at NASA have accomplished that, but 
never at the expense of our highest priority:  safety.  
Today, I continue that commitment.  

It is only after carefully reviewing of the facts, thoroughly 
assessing the input from independent evaluators, and 
measuring the weighty responsibility NASA bears with putting 
any American in space, that I approve the decision to 
continue the next phase of the Shuttle/Mir mission.  

Tonight, the Shuttle Atlantis will launch, sending David Wolf 
to replace Michael Foale and to continue an American presence 
on Mir.

This is a decision that all of us at NASA do not take 
lightly.  We share our fellow Americans' deep concern for our 
astronauts' safety.  And we have heard the calls of some who 
say it is time to abandon the Mir.  We at NASA, especially 
Michael Foale, are deeply touched by this outpouring of 
emotion.  However, we know the decision to continue our joint 
participation aboard Mir should not be based on emotions or 
politics.  It should not be based on fear.  Our decision 
should be based, and is based, on a scientific and technical 
assessment of the mission's safety and the agency's ability 
to gain additional experience and knowledge that cannot be 
gained elsewhere.  

In a status report from Michael Foale, he urged our continued 
participation aboard space station Mir and that David Wolf 
join the Mir crew.  I have also spoken to David Wolf.  I 
asked him if he is confident in NASA's safety review and if 
he thought we should go ahead.  He answered with a resounding 
"yes."

As the person who bears the ultimate responsibility for 
America's space program, I have been diligently reviewing the 
independent and internal safety assessments.   I have 
concluded Shuttle/Mir has a thorough review process that 
ensures continued American participation aboard Mir does not 
put human life in unnecessary peril.  Briefly, I would like 
to share that review process with you.

The first step in the review consists of a comprehensive, 
all-systems analysis to conduct the mission safely and 
successfully.  Each major system and component critical to 
the crew's safety and the mission's success is reviewed and 
determined to be ready for flight.  This review is led by 
Shuttle/Mir Program Manager Frank Culbertson.  This step 
concluded last week with the final Shuttle Flight Readiness 
Review, a separate comprehensive review of all aspects of 
Shuttle mission readiness.  This review resulted in unanimous 
approval to proceed with launch of Shuttle Atlantis to Mir.

The second step is an internal review led by Fred Gregory, 
NASA's Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission 
Assurance.  At the flight readiness review Col. Gregory gave 
his certification of Shuttle-Mir flight safety.

The third step is an external independent review by a NASA 
Advisory Council Task Force, known as the Stafford 
Commission.  This step, as with the two previous, is part of 
each and every Shuttle/Mir mission review.  Led by former 
Gemini and Apollo astronaut Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford, the 
review includes eight other non-NASA members.  To address 
recent Mir problems, General Stafford took the unprecedented 
step of asking Dr. Ralph Jacobson, President Emeritus of The 
Charles Draper Laboratories, to head a smaller team and take 
a fresh look at this particular mission's safety and 
operational readiness.

Yesterday, I was briefed on General Stafford's  and Dr. 
Jacobson's reviews of Mir systems.  They concluded "not only 
is the Mir station deemed to be a satisfactory life support 
platform at this time, but it is anticipated that significant 
operational and scientific experience is still to be gained 
through continued joint operations."

Lastly, when the Inspector General raised concerns about the 
NASA safety review, we added even another step to our 
Shuttle/Mir review process.  I asked Thomas Young, member of 
the National Academy of Engineering, to lead yet another 
independent group of some our country's best to look at the 
IG's report.  This group set out to find if there was 
integrity to NASA's safety review process and to ensure no 
stone was left unturned.  Mr. Young stated in his report to 
me, "The safety issues cited in the Inspector General's 
report have been analyzed and assessed by the NASA Phase I 
team.  NASA has an adequate safety assessment process that is 
complete and thorough.  We found no safety concerns that were 
not being considered by the NASA safety assessment process."

In light of increased scrutiny and heightened emotion, I can 
assure you, this intensely rigorous internal and external 
review of the Shuttle/Mir analyzed -- thoroughly -- risk, 
readiness, and foremost, safety.

I will not trivialize the risks involved in human space 
exploration.  Like all Americans, I know every time an 
astronaut travels to space there is risk.  When we build the 
International Space Station we will encounter similar 
problems and there will be danger.

But NASA is ready.

We are ready because the reviews assure us.  But we're also 
ready because it's the right thing to do.  Americans press 
forward.  

We overcome the unexpected.  
We discover the unknown.  
That has been our history.  
That's America's destiny.

I love this country very much, and I feel privileged to serve 
with so many dedicated, talented and courageous individuals.  
Today, more than ever, I am proud of everyone at NASA for 
their commitment to America's future and for their service to 
humankind.
And to David Wolf , Michael Foale and the rest of the Shuttle 
Atlantis crew . . . Godspeed.  
We'll see you when you get home.

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