THE SPACE STATION, NASA AND CONGRESS - MICROMANAGING SPACE POLICY

The Space Station Freedom has become one of the most controversial pro jects engaged in by NASA during its existence. At least until 1993, Co ngress has taken a much more proactive role in directing the program's development than is historically normal. The factors creating pressur e for such intervention appear to have included: ineffectual executive leadership, a growing federal budgetary crisis, an imprecise and cons tantly fluctuating space station design and consequently an unstable b udget projection, the existence of professionally competent critics an d a congressional staff capable of confidence in the agency's leadersh ip. Congress is institutionally ill-equipped to manage space policy bu t congressional Station supporters felt there was no alternative given the harsh choices that must be made in the short term. Their initiati ve may have been taken from them, however, by a new infusion of execut ive direction-direction that could ultimately either save or kill the station.