NASA Plan for an "Orderly Shutdown"

[Chris Bergin]

This is going around some NASA employees. Not great is it!

From Charlie Bolden:

Planning for an Orderly Shutdown

Throughout the discussions about funding for the rest of the fiscal
year, the President has made it clear that he does not want a
government shutdown, and the Administration is willing to work day and night to find a solution with which all sides can agree.
Given the realities of the calendar, however, prudent management
requires that we plan for an orderly shutdown should Congress be
unable to pass a funding bill.

The President and I know that the uncertainty of the current situation
puts federal employees in a difficult position, and we're very much
aware that a shutdown would impose hardships on many employees as well
as the groups and individuals our agency serves.  As we approach the
expiration of the current CR, our NASA leadership team will provide
you with updated information as soon as it becomes available.  For
now, I want to provide you with information on how the potential
shutdown – should it occur - will impact federal employees.

As soon as funding lapses, federal departments and agencies will not
be permitted to incur further financial obligations performing
activities funded by annual appropriations, except those related to
the orderly suspension of operations or performance of excepted
activities. This means that some employees will be furloughed and
unable to work. Our contingency planning for the potential funding
lapse includes determining which agency functions are excepted from a
furlough.  Should it become necessary to implement our contingency
plans, you will receive formal notice from your manager no later than
Friday, April 8th regarding the designation of your position and
furlough status.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has created a document to
address some of the questions that I know must be on your mind.  The
document can be accessed at http://www.opm.gov/furlough2011. OPM will
provide additional pertinent information for federal employees as the
week progresses. And we will do our very best to provide clear
information about the status of events as the week progresses.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of all of you, our agency
provides critical services to the American public. Your contributions
touch people's lives in so many significant ways, and I want you to
know how deeply I appreciate your dedication and your expertise. We're
a determined and resilient team and we'll get through this!

Thank you for your continued service to NASA and the Nation.

Charlie B.

[TexasRED]

No later than April 8th? My wife was told already to prepare not to come to work that day. They are just waiting for the word if that will have to much of an impact to the upcoming mission or not. We are both contractor too.

[Chris Bergin]

That "furlough" sounds horrendous. Unpaid leave and Federal employees can't even take paid leave on their holiday entitlement or even do another paid job.

Can't even come in on unpaid work even if they wanted too.

Never seen anything like that before!

How will they get away with STS-134 if a load of people are being told to stay at home?

[robertross]

Not a good situation they are being faced with.

Does this never end for these workers?

[robertross]

How will they get away with STS-134 if a load of people are being told to stay at home?

My take: they won't.

Crew training (for one) could be severely impacted. The schedule slip actually 'could help' in this case, but as we know, 10 days can get eaten up quite fast, and the ramp up & ramp down must be taken into account.

[Robotbeat]

Not a good situation they are being faced with.

Does this never end for these workers?

Yeah, this is horrible. Not fair for the workers. Congress, do your job, please.

[TexasRED]

That "furlough" sounds horrendous. Unpaid leave and Federal employees can't even take paid leave on their holiday entitlement or even do another paid job.

Can't even come in on unpaid work even if they wanted too.

Never seen anything like that before!

How will they get away with STS-134 if a load of people are being told to stay at home?

Well thats the thing I'm told. Mission critical activities may be exempted. So, like in my wife's case, they are trying to see if what was planned for Friday can be pushed out.

Furlough's aren't that bad. I had a week long one last year. My xbox kept my happy haha. The worst part of this one is that there wasn't much notice however.

[Integrator]

"The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch."
         Capt. Mancuso, SSN 700 Dallas.

INTEGRATOR

[Chris Bergin]

What a mess.

Furlough's aren't that bad. I had a week long one last year. My xbox kept my happy haha. The worst part of this one is that there wasn't much notice however.

Heh! I'm up for USA vs England on FIFA 11 (proper football, in case you're wondering )

[padrat]

Nah. I'll be a zombie slaughtering mofo!

[Jim]

Well thats the thing I'm told. Mission critical activities may be exempted. So, like in my wife's case, they are trying to see if what was planned for Friday can be pushed out.

Launch ops are not deemed mission critical

[orionContractor]

That "furlough" sounds horrendous. Unpaid leave and Federal employees can't even take paid leave on their holiday entitlement or even do another paid job.

Can't even come in on unpaid work even if they wanted too.

Never seen anything like that before!

How will they get away with STS-134 if a load of people are being told to stay at home?

Well thats the thing I'm told. Mission critical activities may be exempted. So, like in my wife's case, they are trying to see if what was planned for Friday can be pushed out.

Furlough's aren't that bad. I had a week long one last year. My xbox kept my happy haha. The worst part of this one is that there wasn't much notice however.

Well Red, as we sit next to each other at work, I am always up for a nice week of down time and gaming... but as you said we got a least a month notice last time which was easier to plan for $ wise so this should be interesting.  FSW is always struggling to beat our deadlines with our decimated staffing levels so even a week of down time would be bad.

[Alpha Control]

Well thats the thing I'm told. Mission critical activities may be exempted. So, like in my wife's case, they are trying to see if what was planned for Friday can be pushed out.

Launch ops are not deemed mission critical

On first read I'm surprised at that, Jim. But in thinking about it I see where there can be flexibility in launch dates, whereas orbit ops and de-orbit/re-entry ops are most definitely mission critical. Once launch occurs, the clock is ticking.

What about for planetary launches, where there is a specific launch window, especially for those probes requiring gravity assists? Wouldn't those launch ops be considered mission critical?

[Jim]

On first read I'm surprised at that, Jim. But in thinking about it I see where there can be flexibility in launch dates, whereas orbit ops and de-orbit/re-entry ops are most definitely mission critical. Once launch occurs, the clock is ticking.

What about for planetary launches, where there is a specific launch window, especially for those probes requiring gravity assists? Wouldn't those launch ops be considered mission critical?

The administration says they aren't

[Antares]

"The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch."
         Capt. Mancuso, SSN 700 Dallas.

INTEGRATOR

This post is the reason Al Gore invented the internet.  LMFAO.

Edit: I heard there are GOCO gyms that will remain open.  Interesting to see what is mission critical and what isn't.

[Jorge]

Contractors are funded but onsite contractors not on the critical list will be barred from site. For USA the options are to report to work at a USA building or telework.

The last time this happened (1995) CS personnel got back pay after the budget finally passed, though I'm told that's not guaranteed to happen.

[Chris Bergin]

So a shutdown would not impact STS-134, and STS-135's processing/preps?

[Jorge]

So a shutdown would not impact STS-134, and STS-135's processing/preps?

Depends on who's on the critical list. Would be kinda hard for the KSC contractors to keep prepping vehicles when they can't get onsite.

[pathfinder_01]

Why does it have to be an orderly shutdown? Disorderly shutdowns are much more fun.....

[Chris Bergin]

So a shutdown would not impact STS-134, and STS-135's processing/preps?

Depends on who's on the critical list. Would be kinda hard for the KSC contractors to keep prepping vehicles when they can't get onsite.

That's what I was wondering, but given there wasn't any armwaving on the thread yet - and let's face it, someone only has to whisper SD HLV on here for it to turn into a bad day in Tripoli - I thought it might not be as bad as I had assumed!