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NASA AEROSPACE SAFETY ADVISORY PANEL National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, DC 20546 VADM Joseph W. Dyer, USN (Ret), Chair April 15, 2009 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Madam Speaker: Pursuant to Section 106(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-155), the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) is pleased to submit the ASAP Annual Report for 2008 to the U.S. Congress and to the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ASAP members believe that NASA and the new Administration stand at a critical crossroads for the Nation. Consequently, the ASAP decided to provide this brief, to-the-point letter report in lieu of the normal lengthier annual report issued by the Panel. This letter report is based on the Panel's 2008 quarterly meetings (and public session minutes), fact-finding meetings, and recommendations as well as ASAP members' past experiences. The Panel intends to provide a summary of key safety-related issues that the Agency confronts at this seminal point in its history. The ASAP hereby hopes to encourage key stakeholders to reflect the level of urgency that, in the opinion of Panel members, the times demand by immediately considering critical decisions concerning the NASA mission, vision, leadership, and funding. As always, senior NASA leaders and staff members offered significant cooperation to support the completion of this document. I therefore submit the ASAP Annual Report for 2008 with both respect and appreciation. Sincerely, [[signature]] Joseph W. Dyer, VADM, USN (Ret.) Chair Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Enclosure