Yet NASA’s image problem derives from the agency’s undefined purpose and its uncertain future. When asked what the press could do to help promote a larger discussion about the agency’s mission, Kaufman said that in addition to highlighting scientific accomplishments, journalists should be diligent about covering NASA’s shortcomings. A prime example, he said, is a story he wrote about American astronauts’ expected dependence on Russia to carry them to the International Space Station after the shuttle’s retirement in 2010. “That was my way of saying, ‘Houston, we have a problem,’” he said.

Indeed, according to a good, locally oriented article in the Houston Chronicle, the Johnson Space Center (otherwise known as Mission Control) will lose between 600 and 2,400 of its 16,500 jobs when the shuttles retire. Likewise, MSNBC.com’s Boyle worried, given cutbacks at newspapers a number of journalists on the space beat might find themselves “wondering what they’re going to do” when that happens. But he also highlighted a number of Web sites—including spaceflightnow.com, nasawatch.com, and spacetransportnews.com—that are providing excellent information. Whatever the medium, however, journalists still need to step back and ask questions about NASA’s purpose during its next fifty years.

“It’s an issue of public attention,” Boyle said. “Like the financial crisis and bailout, someone could step back and say, ‘You know, we really haven’t reported enough about the meaning of capitalism in the 21st century.’ The transition facing NASA isn’t as dire as the transition facing the financial markets this week, but I think that it’s somewhat of a similar situation.”

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