At least this is what NASA administrator Michael Griffin told reporters after a monthlong internal review, conducted by former astronaut and chief of Safety and Mission Assurance Bryan O'Connor.
The Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee's report from last month indicated that flight personnel at Kennedy Space Center allowed “intoxicated” astronauts to fly at least two times, despite the danger involved and the disobeying of safety rules.
Apparently, the members of a government panel found last month that at least in two occasions, the ground flight personnel authorized lift offs despite “heavy use of alcohol” at some of the astronauts, whose names have not been revealed.
Space shuttle crew members are forbidden to consume alcohol within 12 h before launch. Despite warnings coming from surgeons and even other astronauts who had not consumed alcohol, the agency authorized the flights.
"I have said many times during the past weeks that NASA takes these allegations very seriously -- just as we would any issues that could impact the safety of our missions," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told a news conference at NASA Headquarters. "But at the same time, I also have said that the stories cited in the report seem improbable to those of us familiar with the astronauts' rigorous and very public activities during the hours leading up to a space flight."
Bryan O'Connor commission investigated and interviewed almost 80% of active astronauts and all current operational flight surgeons. It appears none of them confirmed the findings of the July report, negating the reports about misconduct in pre-flight schedules.
O'Connor's review covered the past 20 years of space flight and includes:
-approximately 90 interviews with participants and witnesses to the last few days before shuttle and Soyuz launches, including current and former astronauts, flight surgeons, research and operations support nurses, shuttle suite technicians, closeout crew technicians and the managers and staff of crew quarters, including managers familiar with the crew quarters in Kazakhstan;
-a review of more than 40,000 records dating back to 1984, including mishap and close call reports, anonymous safety reports, safety hotline reports and disciplinary actions involving alcohol and drugs. These records cover 94 shuttle missions and 10 Soyuz missions;
-a review of relevant policies, procedures and near-launch timelines and staffing; and
an inspection of crew quarters at Johnson Space Center in Houston and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"My review represents a good deal more investigation than normally would be done in response to an anonymous safety concern," O'Connor said. "As a result, I am confident there are enough safeguards in place to prevent an impaired crewmember from being strapped into a spacecraft."
The Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee's report was the consequence of the Lisa Nowak astro-love case, which these days is set to find its denouement. NASA said though that sit will take in consideration the recommendations included in the report and that it will implement a “wide range of improvements” based on those findings.
Moreover, NASA is also ready to implement a formal astronaut code of conduct, or "Expected Astronaut Principles of Behavior," elaborated along with members of the astronaut corps and aimed at establishing the agency’s expectations for its employees.
The agency's medical managers also are studying how changes and initiatives advocated by the committee would fit into NASA health care procedures in a way that improves their effectiveness.
Chief Bryan O’Connor said that “should such a situation present itself in the future, I am confident that there are reasonable safeguards in place to prevent an impaired crewmember from boarding a spacecraft.”
NASA will convene expert working groups to advise the agency on possible changes to its psychological testing. Additional training for flight surgeons in behavioral health assessments is planned, and evaluations will be added to annual flight physicals for all astronauts. Continuity of care in NASA clinics will be evaluated. The agency will ensure better clinical communication through regular meetings between behavioral health providers and flight surgeons.
In addition, NASA plans to improve procedures and instructions used in the administration of health care services for its behavioral health clinic. Briefings by flight surgeons to crewmembers are being re-emphasized to ensure astronauts fully understand the nature and purpose of all health-related testing and data collection. Senior NASA leaders also are holding meetings with flight surgeons and astronauts to ensure they understand the multiple pathways to communicate safety and health concerns.