Jeffrey F. Bell

Jeffrey F. Bell is a former NASA engineer and space scientist and critic of many of NASA's spaceflight programs. He is a self-titled "recovering pro-space activist". He is an opinion writer for Space Daily and other spaceflight magazines and websites, primarily regarding the NASA human spaceflight program. His articles criticize various aspects of past, present and proposed space flights programs, drawing on the experience and knowledge he gained while working for NASA.

Bell received his BS in 1977 from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. in 1984 from the University of Hawaii. His Ph.D. dissertation was entitled "A Search for Ultraprimitive Material in the Solar System". He held the position of Associate Professor and the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Criticisms of spaceflight programs

His articles usually begin by pointing out a few serious technical problems of a specific space system, typically ones that are currently under development. He then investigates relevant public press releases of the appropriate US government agencies. The discrepancy between the publicly released propaganda and the technical analysis is pointed out. His pieces conclude with lengthy speculations on the ulterior motives for publicising technically deficient or outright unworkable concepts.

In 2006 he criticized the Blackstar, and the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle.

Notability

In a field full of cheerleaders or poor strategic thinkers, Dr Bell, is a voice of lucid thought.