By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer Thu Jul 26, 4:42 PM ET
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At least twice, astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so drunk they posed a flight-safety risk, an aviation weekly reported Thursday, citing a special panel studying astronaut health.
The independent panel also found "heavy use of alcohol" before launch that was within the standard 12-hour "bottle-to-throttle" rule, according to Aviation Week & Space Technology, which reported the finding on its Web site.
A NASA official confirmed that the health report contains claims of alcohol use by astronauts before launch, but said the information is based on anonymous interviews and is unsubstantiated. The official didn't want to be named because NASA plans a news conference Friday to discuss the panel's findings.
The panel was created following the arrest in February of former space shuttle flier Lisa Nowak, who was implicated in a love triangle.
NASA's space operations chief, Bill Gerstenmaier, said Thursday it would be inappropriate for him to discuss the matter before the report is released on Friday.
Asked if he had ever personally had to deal with a safety issue involving an inebriated astronaut in space, Gerstenmaier replied: "The obvious answer is no. I've never had any instances of that.
"There's not been a disciplinary action or anything I've been involved with regarding this type of activity," he said.
In response, NASA said it launched an investigation to try to verify the allegations, embraced an astronaut code of conduct and was weighing changes in its drinking policies.
NASA convened the eight-member panel to examine its health policies after the arrest of astronaut Lisa Nowak in February on allegations she stalked and attacked a rival for the affections of a fellow astronaut.
"Interviews with both flight surgeons and astronauts identified some episodes of heavy use of alcohol by astronauts in the immediate pre-flight period, which has led to flight-safety concerns," the report said.
The panel did not say when the incidents took place or name the astronauts involved.
"We don't have enough data to call it alcohol abuse," said U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann, panel chairman and commander of the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, who offered few details of the two incidents cited in the report.
I haven't heard any numbers. Since there's a 12 hour sobriety rule, technically any consumption would be "against the rules." I haven't heard the blood alcohol levels and thus suspect this might be taken out of proportion. Was it 0.2? Was it 0.001? dunno. If someone else knows, give us a holler 'cause until then I just figure they went out for beer the night before.
Old men, fear me! You will shatter under my ruthless apathetic assault!
Uschi - 2 Old Men - 0
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