Space Politics

Because sometimes the most important orbit is the Beltway…

House hearing on jobs and industrial base

December 10, 2009 at 5:51 am · Filed under Congress

The full House Science and Technology Committee is holding a hearing this morning titled “Decisions on the Future Direction and Funding for NASA: What Will They Mean for the U.S. Aerospace Workforce and Industrial Base? “ (This was originally planned to be held by the space subcommittee, the third in a series of hearings on the agency’s future by the subcommittee, but was promoted to the full committee last week.) The witnesses:

Dr. Richard Aubrecht, Vice President, Strategy and Technology, Moog Inc.
Ms. Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aerospace Industries Association
Mr. David Thompson, President, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Mr. A. Thomas Young, Lockheed Martin Corporation (Ret.)

The hearing charter provides a preview of the hearing.

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8 Comments »

MrEarl wrote @ December 10th, 2009 at 10:45 am

Way off the subject but tossing it out there:
Has there been any studies into how to move the ISS into an orbit that is at a much lower inclination then the present one since the Russians now have launch facilities in French Giana? I would think by doing that larger/heavier payloads could be sent and the ISS would be better placed to be a way point on trips to the moon or other destinations.

Rand Simberg wrote @ December 10th, 2009 at 11:54 am

I’ve looked into it. It’s certainly feasible, and could be done for a couple billion.

common sense wrote @ December 10th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

For those who believe that the choie of Ares was based on technology, engineering and/or science see below… Where did I read human-launch-optimized vehicles?…

Oh well…

http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/file/Commdocs/hearings/2009/Full/10dec/Hearing_Charter.pdf

“If a decision is made to human-rate the EELV systems and NASA were to abandon the Ares I system but retain the Ares V heavy-launch capability, the solid rocket motor industrial base would need to be sustained until the Ares V generated demand.”

Marcel F. Williams wrote @ December 10th, 2009 at 8:36 pm

Anyone interested in reading a pdf copy of the 1992 study in Nature Magazine (Sharing out NASA’s Spoils) on the huge economic benefits and job creation of NASA programmes to the general economy can email me at newpapyrus@yahoo.com to get a copy. Its still a very important and relevant study, IMO, even today.

Robert G. Oler wrote @ December 10th, 2009 at 11:51 pm

http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/nyheter/utrikes/article6263483.ab

since we are way off topic…interesting video on the Russian sub launch that went “off”.

Courtesy Jim Oberg and Sven Graham…

Robert G. Oler

NASA Fan wrote @ December 11th, 2009 at 8:38 am

Robert I’ve always enjoyed your posts. Imagine my surprise to learn you even know how to speak Russian!
Great post.

And can someone quantify how much influence this house committee has with appropriators? Ye who controls the purse strings has the power. Ye who doesn’t, wishes they did.

More arm vwaving if you ask me.

And any queses as to why the full committee yanked this out of the subcommittee’s hands? Anything to read into that move?

I”m not a politico.

Robert G. Oler wrote @ December 11th, 2009 at 9:36 am

NASA Fan

“Crapski shitski” is about the same in any language…

LOL

Robert G. Oler

jobs wrote @ December 30th, 2009 at 10:39 pm

so where exactly does NASA advertise to hire its astronauts?

i’d love to know? LOL