Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, then-Associate Administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, discusses the timeline for crewed exploration missions to Mars.
Assertion Supported
Zurbuchen: Avoidable James Webb Space Telescope mistakes cost taxpayers $800 million
“During that time, as well as the year before, this team was so, had such challenges that it was making mistakes that cost the taxpayer of the United States, eight hundred million dollars. The mistakes themselves cost six hundred million dollars because of lack…”
Opinion
Zurbuchen: Extraterrestrial life in the universe is very likely
“First of all, I, Believe it's very likely, right? I mean, as a scientist, the answer must be, I don't know.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Zurbuchen: Space and asteroid mining will happen within our lifetime
“No, I think this is our lifetime kind of issue, the mining calling.”
Insight
Thomas Zurbuchen: Claiming aerospace projects are low-risk exposes your incompetence
“What I really hate, if you really want to tick me off, come show up and tell me everything is low risk. That makes me believe you haven't understood your job, right? Don't make me laugh. Don't make me feel good. Make me feel scared and then make me feel comfor…”
Insight
Thomas Zurbuchen: Pain-averse leaders cause organizations to hide critical risks
“Some leaders don't sleep well if they have problems. You know, so they have pain aversion. It's a big leadership weakness, like, you know, to not be able to carry worries with them, you know, and those worries pulling them down so, you know, that the whole org…”
Opinion
Zurbuchen: Low Earth orbit is shifting toward becoming a domain of war
“If you ask me kind of my kind of in low earth orbit, what is my biggest worry right now? It is that, that we take the common good of space that we've You know, over decades we've used that way, you know, in a non-interference basis you know, with international…”