[lisper]

> I think NASA has become a political creature

NASA has always been a political creature, but its mission has changed over the years. Its original mission was to beat the USSR into space. Its new mission is to funnel money to key congressional districts. But it has always been political. Science was always a facade.

Source: I worked for NASA for 15 years (1988-2000, 2001-2004).

[V_Terranova_Jr]

The saddest thing about NASA is that the remarkable engineering and scientific capability it possesses... is managed by NASA. It's a great example of one of the most profoundly dysfunctional bureaucracies within the U.S. Government.