SpaceX isand is a major contributor to NASA's efforts, but the former chief executive officer of the federal agency is her boss. Claims to have ridiculed her once for helping Elon Musk and his fledgling space exploration company.
Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver recollects "Avoiding Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Start a New Space Age" The memoir details the agency's initial cold welcome to Mask and SpaceX. According to an excerpt obtained by
Business Insider, "early industry and government officials were delighted to decide on a company and Elon," Garver wrote. I am.
Mr. Gerber, who was NASA's deputy administrator during the administration of former President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, strengthened collaboration with private companies such as SpaceXExplained that they are facing internal friction while propelling.
She said that NASA leaders resisted this idea and programmed it. Even if SpaceX and other companies offer cheaper, more technologically advanced collaboration, such as reusable rockets, it remains in the hands of the government.
Gerber's memoirs are particularly critical of current NASA administrator Bill Nelson. Bill Nelson allegedly demanded that Mask's public commentary on the space program be curtailed.
"I felt that the intensity of his anger was personally threatened at a particularly unpleasant one-on-one meeting in the Senate hideout," Gerber wrote in the book. "In response to public comments made by Elon Musk on SpaceX's ability to improve NASA's existing programs, Bill Nelson shouted to me to" line up your boy Elon. " Despite being wary of past public-private partnerships, he attempts to "dress in the flag of a commercial crew" . The
post contacted SpaceX and NASA for comment on the memoirs.
SpaceX is one of several companies working with NASA on space-related projections. In 2021, NASA signed a $ 2.9 billion contract with SpaceX to develop a new lunar lander to carry astronauts to the moon.
SpaceX has also repeatedly transported astronauts to the International Space Station. Earlier this year, NASA extended SpaceX's commercial crew contract with three additional missions,TechCrunchreported.
"Without him and SpaceX, much of the transformation at NASA couldn't have been accomplished, so it's difficult to separate my story from Elon's story," Gerber added. "We shed blood for the same reason and gathered the same enemies," she writes. "We needed each other to succeed."
NASA then announced plans to bid on a second commercially built lunar module. Blue Origin, a billionaire Jeff Bezos company, is a favorite for securing deals.
