In his new role Gerstenmaier is reporting to SpaceX vice president of mission assurance Hans Koenigsmann
A SpaceX spokesperson confirmed that Gerstenmaier is a consultant for the company's reliability engineering team.
The article didn't say whether Gerst would be working on the Crew Dragon or Starship side. Or, did I miss that?
Huge hire for SpaceX for a number of reasons.
Foremost is this gives the company gravitas within the traditional aerospace community and defense industry. Few people are more widely respected in aerospace than Gerstenmaier.
Like, do you want to win government contracts for Starship? Because this is how you win government contracts for Starship. Gerstenmaier was the ultimate insider in the civil space industry.
Congratulations to the company @SpaceX with an invitation to work an outstanding specialist engineer, former head of the manned program @NASA William Gerstenmaier. Bill made a huge contribution to the success of the project. #МКС . I wish my friend success in a new job!
Quote from: seawolfe on 02/11/2020 05:06 pmThe article didn't say whether Gerst would be working on the Crew Dragon or Starship side. Or, did I miss that?It did not say that, but Crew Dragon is more or less finished.I believe he is supposed to help with Starship, since it's currently being built without NASA supervision and experience (opposed to crew dragon).
A SpaceX spokesperson confirmed that Gerstenmaier is a consultant for the company’s reliability engineering team.
Further limitations upon the post-government employment activities of certain officials existunder so-called “procurement integrity” provisions of federal law for those former federalofficials who had acted as contracting officers or who had other specified contracting orprocurement functions for an agency. These additional restrictions go beyond the prohibitions onmerely “representational,” lobbying, or advocacy activities on behalf of private entities before thegovernment, and extend also to any compensated activity for or on behalf of certain privatecontractors for a period of time after a former procurement official had worked on certaincontracts for the government.The current post-employment restrictions within the procurement integrity provisions of federallaw are codified at 41 U.S.C. Sections 2103 and 2104. Under such provisions, former federalofficials who were involved in certain contracting and procurement duties for the governmentconcerning contracts in excess of $10 million may generally not receive any compensation fromthe private contractor involved, as an employee, officer, consultant, or director of that contractor,for one year after performing those procurement duties for the government.27The types of contracting duties and decisions for the government which would trigger coverageunder these provisions include acting as the “procuring contracting officer, the source selectionauthority, a member of the source selection evaluation board, or the chief of a financial ortechnical evaluation team in a procurement” in excess of $10 million; serving as the programmanager, deputy program manager, or administrative contracting officer for covered contracts; orbeing an officer who personally made decisions awarding a contract, subcontract, modification ofa contract, or task order or delivery order in excess of $10 million, establishing overhead or otherrates valued in excess of $10 million, or approving payments or settlement of claims for acontract in excess of the covered amount.
So, has NASA verified that this meets government regulations?QuoteFurther limitations upon the post-government employment activities of certain officials existunder so-called “procurement integrity” provisions of federal law for those former federalofficials who had acted as contracting officers or who had other specified contracting orprocurement functions for an agency. These additional restrictions go beyond the prohibitions onmerely “representational,” lobbying, or advocacy activities on behalf of private entities before thegovernment, and extend also to any compensated activity for or on behalf of certain privatecontractors for a period of time after a former procurement official had worked on certaincontracts for the government.The current post-employment restrictions within the procurement integrity provisions of federallaw are codified at 41 U.S.C. Sections 2103 and 2104. Under such provisions, former federalofficials who were involved in certain contracting and procurement duties for the governmentconcerning contracts in excess of $10 million may generally not receive any compensation fromthe private contractor involved, as an employee, officer, consultant, or director of that contractor,for one year after performing those procurement duties for the government.27The types of contracting duties and decisions for the government which would trigger coverageunder these provisions include acting as the “procuring contracting officer, the source selectionauthority, a member of the source selection evaluation board, or the chief of a financial ortechnical evaluation team in a procurement” in excess of $10 million; serving as the programmanager, deputy program manager, or administrative contracting officer for covered contracts; orbeing an officer who personally made decisions awarding a contract, subcontract, modification ofa contract, or task order or delivery order in excess of $10 million, establishing overhead or otherrates valued in excess of $10 million, or approving payments or settlement of claims for acontract in excess of the covered amount. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42728.pdfI'm frankly surprised they didn't wait a year since Wiliam Gerstenmaier was removed as head of HEOMD to give him a job since he could be considered a program manager for SpaceX's commercial crew and cargo contracts.
QuoteA SpaceX spokesperson confirmed that Gerstenmaier is a consultant for the company’s reliability engineering team.I think everyone needs to slow down a bit. He's a consultant, which usually implies a short-term advisory role. It could be a sort of trial period for both parties that morphs into a full-time leadership role, but I would not assume it from this article.
Quote from: ncb1397 on 02/11/2020 06:18 pmSo, has NASA verified that this meets government regulations?QuoteFurther limitations upon the post-government employment activities of certain officials existunder so-called “procurement integrity” provisions of federal law for those former federalofficials who had acted as contracting officers or who had other specified contracting orprocurement functions for an agency. These additional restrictions go beyond the prohibitions onmerely “representational,” lobbying, or advocacy activities on behalf of private entities before thegovernment, and extend also to any compensated activity for or on behalf of certain privatecontractors for a period of time after a former procurement official had worked on certaincontracts for the government.The current post-employment restrictions within the procurement integrity provisions of federallaw are codified at 41 U.S.C. Sections 2103 and 2104. Under such provisions, former federalofficials who were involved in certain contracting and procurement duties for the governmentconcerning contracts in excess of $10 million may generally not receive any compensation fromthe private contractor involved, as an employee, officer, consultant, or director of that contractor,for one year after performing those procurement duties for the government.27The types of contracting duties and decisions for the government which would trigger coverageunder these provisions include acting as the “procuring contracting officer, the source selectionauthority, a member of the source selection evaluation board, or the chief of a financial ortechnical evaluation team in a procurement” in excess of $10 million; serving as the programmanager, deputy program manager, or administrative contracting officer for covered contracts; orbeing an officer who personally made decisions awarding a contract, subcontract, modification ofa contract, or task order or delivery order in excess of $10 million, establishing overhead or otherrates valued in excess of $10 million, or approving payments or settlement of claims for acontract in excess of the covered amount. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42728.pdfI'm frankly surprised they didn't wait a year since Wiliam Gerstenmaier was removed as head of HEOMD to give him a job since he could be considered a program manager for SpaceX's commercial crew and cargo contracts.Maybe that's why his title contractor for now... this great for SpaceX and NASA.
Lori Garver@Lori_GarverThis is awesome! After holding his cards close as a civil servant for decades - Gerst plays his hand! Congrats & huge win for @SpaceX & commercial crew! SpaceX brings on NASA's former top spaceflight official as it prepares to launch first astronauts
Quote from: ThomasGadd on 02/11/2020 06:27 pmQuote from: ncb1397 on 02/11/2020 06:18 pmSo, has NASA verified that this meets government regulations?QuoteFurther limitations upon the post-government employment activities of certain officials existunder so-called “procurement integrity” provisions of federal law for those former federalofficials who had acted as contracting officers or who had other specified contracting orprocurement functions for an agency. These additional restrictions go beyond the prohibitions onmerely “representational,” lobbying, or advocacy activities on behalf of private entities before thegovernment, and extend also to any compensated activity for or on behalf of certain privatecontractors for a period of time after a former procurement official had worked on certaincontracts for the government.The current post-employment restrictions within the procurement integrity provisions of federallaw are codified at 41 U.S.C. Sections 2103 and 2104. Under such provisions, former federalofficials who were involved in certain contracting and procurement duties for the governmentconcerning contracts in excess of $10 million may generally not receive any compensation fromthe private contractor involved, as an employee, officer, consultant, or director of that contractor,for one year after performing those procurement duties for the government.27The types of contracting duties and decisions for the government which would trigger coverageunder these provisions include acting as the “procuring contracting officer, the source selectionauthority, a member of the source selection evaluation board, or the chief of a financial ortechnical evaluation team in a procurement” in excess of $10 million; serving as the programmanager, deputy program manager, or administrative contracting officer for covered contracts; orbeing an officer who personally made decisions awarding a contract, subcontract, modification ofa contract, or task order or delivery order in excess of $10 million, establishing overhead or otherrates valued in excess of $10 million, or approving payments or settlement of claims for acontract in excess of the covered amount. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42728.pdfI'm frankly surprised they didn't wait a year since Wiliam Gerstenmaier was removed as head of HEOMD to give him a job since he could be considered a program manager for SpaceX's commercial crew and cargo contracts.Maybe that's why his title contractor for now... this great for SpaceX and NASA. Well, the CRS-2, CRS and commercial crew contracts may not be covered contracts because decisions on those weren't made in the last year (again,NASA has the information on this internally). So, even though he was a program manager (or rather the program manager's manager), those don't count as covered contracts. If NASA's, SpaceX's and Gerstenmaier's lawyers all looked at this thoroughly and it went through, it is at least an interesting anecdote about what is and is not legal.
