Does NASA need stint in rehab?; Agency vows to probe reports of drunk astronauts

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After drinking heavily, an astronaut flewon a Russian spacecraft and another was cleared for flight on aspace shuttle, said the chairman of an independent panel of outsideexperts Friday, citing unverified interviews.

The panel's report on astronaut health, released Friday, saidNASA officials failed to listen to flight surgeons and otherastronauts who warned of safety risks because some astronauts hadtoo much to drink.

While the report was vague and gave no names, panel chairman Col.Richard Bachmann Jr., provided a few details. He said the panel wastold about multiple instances involving alcohol, but the mostdetailed involved two astronauts.

In the case of the shuttle astronaut, a colleague warned he hadhad too much to drink but only after the mission was delayed formechanical reasons, Bachmann said the panel was told.

The second incident, he said, involved warnings of alcoholinvolving an astronaut flying on the Russians' Soyuz spacecraftheaded for the international space station.

Ellen Ochoa, an astronaut who heads flight crew operations forNASA, said drinking and toasts are common in Russia, even sevenhours before flight.

At Friday's briefing, NASA said it was unaware of any astronautsbeing drunk before a flight. Deputy Administrator Shana Dalepromised to pursue the truth behind the claims.