The Cosmic-Ray Detector, known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), may be shelved due to a conflict between Dr. Samuel Ting of MIT and NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin. Dr. Griffin has prioritized NASA's focus on lunar and Martian exploration, deeming the AMS project less critical. This decision reflects a broader shift in the space program's direction following the Columbia disaster, which Griffin cites as a significant loss for the U.S. space initiative.
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From the article.Beyond the experiment itself, the standoff represents a clash between two of the more strong-willed and brilliant leaders of Big Science in America: Dr. Ting of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who is known for his autocratic management style and obsession with detail, and Michael D. Griffin, the NASA administrator, who has shown himself willing to make tough calls in reshaping the space program away from the shuttle and toward the Moon and Mars.
“The loss of Columbia was a huge loss for the entire United States space program aside from the deaths of seven people,” Dr. Griffin said recently in an interview.
“Sam is the one guy we deal with who has not accepted this with reasonable grace,” he said. “He continues to insist that he is a special case. I’m sorry, but he’s not.”