"Its amazing NASA got away with this crap for so long." This is unfair. The popular article we're talking about is trying to dramatize a milestone, but it doe

"Its amazing NASA got away with this crap for so long." This is unfair. The popular article we're talking about is trying to dramatize a milestone, but it does not say that his retirement threatens the spacecraft. It's being managed by training someone new. When you retire after many years of service, people will make laudatory comments, say you will be hard to replace (which will be true), and then move on. Incidentally, I believe he's not fully retired, because he's still listed in the employee directory here. Maybe it's set for the current work week, which for him, ends Friday.