Posted: Mon, Oct 6, 2003, 1:37 PM ET (1737 GMT)
A dozen former members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), including three who resigned last month, said Friday that NASA, Congress, and the White House have failed to provide sufficient funding to the shuttle program to ensure its safety. The Washington Post reported Saturday that the "harshly worded" statement issued by the former ASAP members claimed that NASA never received the budgetary resources it needed to "to conduct space shuttle operations at a minimal level of risk." The statement also claimed that NASA dismissed or forced the resignations of panel members who argued with NASA about shuttle safety. All nine members of ASAP, along with two consultants, resigned late last month because they felt their past concerns about shuttle and ISS safety were not being addressed by NASA.

Related Links:

•  Washington Post article
•  Orlando Sentinel article