More problems for NPOESS

A major satellite project that’s over budget and behind schedule? That’s hardly news in Washington these days. Still, the problems associated with the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) warranted the attention given them during a hearing of the House Science Committee on Thursday. The hearing was coordinated with the release of a report […]

The importance of clarity in lobbying communications

On a table in the lobby of the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles during the International Space Development Conference last weekend, I saw a sign next to flyers that had contact information for members of the House and Senate appropriations committees:

So, when you restore cuts, do you add or take away money? It […]

Calvert: NASA needs more money, public support

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), chairman of the space subcommittee of the House Science Committee, spoke at an STA breakfast a couple weeks ago about the NASA budget and related issues (I only got around to this now because of travel and other work, plus, there’s another STA breakfast with Tom DeLay scheduled for this […]

Pentagon: sorry about the ULA delay

A Reuters article late Tuesday states that Ken Kreig, the Defense Department’s undersecretary for acquisition, that he “regretted” the continued delays in government approval for the United Launch Alliance, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin EELV joint venture. The ULA was announced a year ago last week, and still has not received the required approvals from the Federal […]

Indian space cooperation and missile proliferation

Yesterday NASA and its Indian counterpart, ISRO, formally signed an agreement whereby NASA will contribute two instruments to India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1. Sounds good, right? International cooperation in lunar exploration would seem to be a positive development. But, according to the Los Angeles Times, some people are concerned about aspects of the cooperation:

But […]

Calling dibs on orbiters

While it’s still over three and a half years before the shuttle fleet makes its final flight, a scramble already seems to be developing among locations that want to be home to the three remaining orbiters once retired. California Assemblywoman Sharon Runner (R-Lancaster) announced this week that she has introduced a joint resolution in the […]

State honors for Eileen Collins

The Elmira Star-Gazette reported Tuesday that the New York State Senate unanimously approved a resolution honoring retiring astronaut Eileen Collins for her service to NASA. The resolution honoring the Elmira native was sponsored by Sen. George H. Winner Jr., R-Elmira. (The actual text of the resolution does not appear to be currently available on the […]

Another Mojave spaceport glitch

The Bakersfield Californian [free registration required] reports today that the appropriations committee of the California Senate tabled a bill that would provide Mojave Airport with an $11-million loan that would be used to provide spaceport facilities there. It appears that the committee didn’t single out the bill: according to the article the legislation was tabled […]

California Senate to take up Mojave loan bill

The Sacramento Bee reports that the appropriations committee of the California Senate will debate legislation that would provide Mojave Airport with an $11-million loan to develop a spaceport terminal and related facilities. You may recall that the same bill, SB 1671 was approved by the Senate’s transportation committee last month, although not without some drama. […]

Fresh blood for the House Science Committee

House Speaker Dennis Hastert has appointed two additional Republicans, Randy Neugebauer (TX) and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL), to fill vacancies on the House Science Committee. Diaz-Balart will get a seat on the space subcommittee; he said in the committee’s statement that he looks forward to, among other things, “address[ing] issues facing NASA.”

The full committee has […]