The White House has asked Norman Augustine, a former aerospace industry executive, to lead a review of Nasa's manned activities and report by August.

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Norman Augustine, chair of the review committee and former chief executive of aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, said members would offer broad options to President Obama.

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This panel is commonly referred to as the Augustine committee, after its chairman Norman Augustine, who was once head of Lockheed Martin, one of America's largest aerospace companies.

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As the estimable Norman Augustine once stated, if there can be a popular TV show called L.A. Law, why not an equally engaging prime-time drama called L.A. Engineering?

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However, it augurs well that a panel of industry luminaries recently convened by the White House and led by Norman Augustine, a former CEO of Lockheed, has come down firmly for it.

ECONOMIST: Science