Where the Real NASA Scoop Is: A Guide to NASA Insider Websites

Angst aplenty among NASA's Rocket Science community has developed into public discourse (and rants) in cyberspace with all the drama, alliances, adversaries, leaks, and twists and turns of a TV reality show.

Uncertainty abounds in the NASA workforce because a new Obama commission is reviewing NASA's Return-to-the-Moon mega-difficulties and considering alternative rocket proposals. Mass layoffs are looming due to the Shuttle retirement schedule and the delayed timeline for the upstart of the moon program. Whether the appointment of Charles Bolden as the new NASA administrator will bring real improvements within NASA remains unknown.

So NASA and it's contractor workers are riled up and rabble rousing. And where do NASA insiders meetup in cyberspace to dish, debate, leak, opine, blab, and report publicly?

Certainly Not on official NASA web sites!

Although an abundance of most excellent NASA space program information is publicly available through official NASA channels via www.nasa.gov, most NASA insiders wanting to speak up publicly about internal NASA problems don't go there. While some NASA folks are now officially Blogging and YouTubing and Facebooking and Twittering and Tweeting and all things socially-networking-putting-on-a-happy-face away.......you won't find much real insider scoop there.

NASA and contractor in-the-trenches-workers, management, astronauts, lobbyists, big name media, other assorted industry insiders, as well as general public space fanatics and armchair engineers, converse regularly on the following Non-NASA websites.

1. NASAWatch.com

The thorn in NASA management's side, here's where the space program's legendary dissenting-squelching-managers meetup with conscientious dissenting watchdogs. Its owner, Keith Cowing, is a former NASA worker and has many reliable insider contacts for sources from NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. as well as NASA centers such as Johnson Space Center (JSC), Kennedy Space Center (KSC). He also pals around with astronauts such as the recent trek to Mount Everest for the Discovery Channel. He's called often for commentary by major media journalists and TV news programs such as CNN and MSNBC.

With lively, active, and opinionated comments, you'll find leaks-a-plenty from NASA insiders including internal NASA memos and meeting discussions. News articles of special interest to the NASA space community are culled and posted daily for comments. Be sure to read the comment posts, they may contain more insider scoop than the original article posting. Free, no registration required to view or post comments.

http://www.nasawatch.com/

Fav insider leak: http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2008/09/ares_pdr_was_no.html

2. NASASpaceFlight.com

A well organized, all-things-space-smorgasbord discussion forum with loads of threads for everything you ever wanted to know or ask about multitudes of space projects. NASA and contractor workers are assured anonymity by the Managing editor, Chris Bergin - also a frequent national media Go-To-person for commentary.

It contains both discussion boards and a treasure trove of stories using information extracted from NASA releases. Be sure to check the home page for articles as well as the discussion boards. Free, registration required to post, paid premium subscription also available.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com

User confidentiality pledge: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=1244.0

3. InsideKSC.com

This site is devoted to all things Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Very Shuttle and Very Return-to-the-Moon Constellation program focused. Owned by current KSC employee, Rick Fischer, it predictably tends to put a positive spin on most article postings, but doesn't shy away from reporting difficulties or dissenting opine in the discussion boards. You'll have to decide if there's any employer-biased-spin-miestering going on.

Content includes insightful staff articles and discussion boards. Free, registration required to post.

http://insideksc.com/forum.php

http://insideksc.com

Whether you're job hunting in the Space program, or a former Space worker just wanting to stay in touch, or a current space worker wanting to be informed beyond your department, have a look-see at these websites. Just lurk around or jump on in and post comments and you'll be well informed about what's really happening behind the scenes in NASA.