With the White House and Congress pressuring NASA to reduce space station costs and construction delays, the agency felt compelled to adhere to a fixed shuttle flight schedule for station missions, which would affect non-station missions as well, the report said.

CNN: Shuttle not likely to fly by spring, experts say

He then cleared out the executive ranks, fixed the company's balance sheet and turned the company into one of the most profitable big engineering and construction firms in the world.

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