This fits a certain MSM pattern -- report an overblown charge as fact, then back off when it turns out there is no actual evidence to support the charge.

An internal investigation has found no evidence of heavy drinking or drunkenness among astronauts before space missions, NASA officials said Wednesday.

In a report summarizing the investigation, NASAÂ’s safety chief, the former astronaut Bryan D. OÂ’Connor, said that although stories had circulated about astronauts abusing alcohol before missions, nothing was found to support them.

“Within the scope and limitations of this review, I was unable to verify any case in which an astronaut spaceflight crewmember was impaired on launch day,” Mr. O’Connor wrote.

He also said he had found no evidence that managers had disregarded recommendations from flight surgeons or other crew members that an astronaut not be allowed to fly.

In the report, Mr. OÂ’Connor recommended that NASA remind its employees to report, either openly or using one of several anonymous reporting systems the agency has in place, any threat to a flightÂ’s safety, including alcohol abuse. The report also recommended improvements in the oversight role of flight surgeons on launching day.

“I am confident that there are reasonable safeguards in place to prevent an impaired crew member from boarding a spacecraft,” he said.

So the mention of two unverified reports in an earlier report was sufficient to tar the space agency as unconcerned with safety and irresponsible in its handling of personnel and machinery. But now that the stories have been shown to be nothing more than NASA urban legends, will the media give the sort of remedial coverage needed to repair NASA's image? I doubt it.

Posted by: Greg at 10:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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