Initial Report Didn't Name Accusers, Names, Dates...

Don't believe the rumors. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Wednesday it found no supporting evidence on reports of astronauts flying into space while inebriated. NASA safety chief Bryan O'Connor said he "was unable to verify any case in which an astronaut or spaceflight crew member was impaired on launch day."

As ANN reported, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin called for investigations by the NASA Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee into the physical and emotional states of the agency's astronauts, following the February arrest of then-astronaut Lisa Nowak.

The report noted two occasions where astronauts were permitted to fly into space, despite evidence of "heavy use of alcohol by astronauts in the immediate preflight period."

"Alcohol is freely used in crew quarters." the report continues. "Two specific instances were described where astronauts had been so intoxicated prior to flight that flight surgeons and/or fellow astronauts raised concerns to local on-scene leadership regarding flight safety. However, the individuals were still permitted to fly."

The report cited anonymous interviews with flight surgeons as well as astronauts. The alleged offenders, dates or missions weren't named, either, according to Bloomberg.

"Should such a situation present itself in the future, I am confident that there are reasonable safeguards in place to prevent an impaired crewmember from boarding a spacecraft," O'Connor said in Wednesday's report.

O'Conner said he interviewed some 90 people that had been associated with shuttle missions in some form or fashion for the past 20 years.

Several staff flight surgeons denied ever seeing anyone impaired by alcohol prior to a shuttle or Russian Soyuz flight... or even before training on a T-38.

FMI: www.nasa.gov