The issue focused on concerns over allegations that NASA scientist Harold White lied about scientific experiments performed by scientists working with astronauts aboard the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA's Galileo spacecraft. NASA lawyers subsequently appealed to the Science Advisory Board (SAB), which advises NASA's Chief Scientist James Hansen.


Three astronomers appointed by SAB rejected NASA's arguments in January 2008. Two months later, NASA formally withdrew its appeal of SAB recommendations and reversed course on NASA's astronomy missions. NASA officially terminated Galileo after NASA astronomer Linda Spil