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NASA will launch an extensive "safety review" of workplace operations and culture at SpaceX and Boeing, two companies mandated by the space agency to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
according to The Washington PostThree officials aware of the investigation revealed that it had been announced because of the recent behavior of SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who smoked marijuana and drank whiskey on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast. While many might consider his actions relatively harmless, senior NASA officials would have been dissatisfied with Musk.
NASA declined to comment on what prompted the review, but a spokesman assured that the companies would meet the space agency's requirements for workplace safety, including respect for an "environment". without drugs.
The survey, expected to begin next year, will take several months and will include interviews with hundreds of employees to assess the culture in both workplaces, according to NASA.
William Gerstenmaier, associate director of human exploration at the space agency, said The post office that the review would examine "anything and everything that could affect security" at SpaceX and Boeing.
In the meantime, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has expressed his confidence in the SpaceX team, while claiming that the workplace culture is "at the top", adding that the space agency needs To ensure that the public has confidence in the safety of its human spaceflight program to start next year.
"If I see something inappropriate, the main concern for me is what culture has led to this inadequacy and what NASA is involved in," he said. The post office. "As an agency, we do not just lead ourselves, we also lead our entrepreneurs. We must show the American public that when we put an astronaut on a rocket, he will be safe. "
In a statement in response to the announcement of the review, SpaceX said: "Spaceflight is the fundamental mission of our society. SpaceX is nothing more important than this company, and we take seriously the responsibility that NASA has given us to safely and reliably transport American astronauts to and from the International Space Station. "
The company added that it actively promoted workplace safety and was convinced that its unmanned programs and workplace programs "exceeded all applicable contract requirements".
Boeing also pointed out that the culture of its workplace ensured the "integrity, safety and quality" of its products, in a statement sent to AFP.
"As NASA's trusted partner since the beginning of manned spaceflight, we share the same values and we are committed to continuing our legacy of trust, openness and mission success."
Since the withdrawal of the space shuttle program in 2011, the United States has no way of transporting astronauts to the ISS. Instead, he had to rely on the use of the Russian satellite Soyuz for a cost of $ 80 million per astronaut.
To address this problem, NASA awarded $ 4.2 billion and $ 2.6 billion worth of contracts to Boeing and SpaceX respectively in 2014 as part of its program. Commercial crew, designed for transporting astronauts to the ISS.
Despite several setbacks and delays for both companies, Boeing and SpaceX hope to conduct manned space flights, with the help of the satellite that will be launched for the ISS, in mid-2019.
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