Space Politics
Because sometimes the most important orbit is the Beltway…
Archive for January, 2011
January 13, 2011 at 9:35 pm · Filed under Congress, NASA
In an unusual move, NASA’s Inspector General (IG) has sent letters to key members of Congress, requesting that they take “immediate action” to remove legislative language that the IG concludes is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars. In letters to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee and the chair and ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, NASA IG Paul Martin said that a provision in the FY2010 appropriations act that has carried over to the series of continuing resolutions funding NASA into FY2011 requires NASA to spend millions of dollars a month on Constellation programs that the agency would otherwise cancel, given the guidance in the NASA authorization act passed last fall.
“Without congressional intervention, by the end of February 2011 NASA anticipates spending up to $215 million on Constellation projects that, absent the restrictive appropriations language, it would have considered canceling or significantly scaling back,” Martin writes in the letters. That’s a fraction of the roughly $200 million a month NASA is spending on Constellation, because some of the Constellation projects—in particular work on five-segment solid rocket motors, the J-2X upper-stage engine, and virtually all of Orion—would likely be continued to support the Space Launch System and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. However, the Ares 1 upper stage and related avionics work remain funded even though officials said “they likely would have considered canceling these contracts” absent the existing prohibition on such terminations. Also cited as projects being funded now that might otherwise not be: “ground operations”, such as work at the Kennedy Space Center; mission operations projects; and program integration work. Combined, those projects spent $71 million in the first two months of FY11, and are projected to spend a total of $215 million by the end of February. Should the provision remain in place through the entire fiscal year, the total would reach $577 million.
Martin stated in the letters that NASA has taken steps to concentrate Constellation funding on efforts “it believes may have future applicability”, but that will be more difficult to do as time goes on and the agency needs to make decisions on the design of the Space Launch System and related programs. “As one senior NASA official described it, ‘There’s a point coming up soon where we would just be spending money to spend money,’” the letter states.
January 13, 2011 at 9:02 pm · Filed under Congress
One of the leading voices on space issues in the Senate will be leaving. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced today that she has decided not to run for reelection in 2012. She said in the announcement that she would not leave before the end of her current term, but was making the announcement now, nearly two years before her term ends, to “give the people of Texas ample time to consider who my successor will be.” Hutchison’s retirement plans aren’t necessary surprising: in the run-up to last year’s GOP gubernatorial primary in Texas, where she ran against and lost to incumbent Rick Perry, she had talked about resigning from the Senate to focus full-time on her campaign, but decided to stay on. In the announcement she notes that she had “intended to leave this office long before now”, but was persuaded to remain.
Hutchison, as ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, has played a major role in space policy on the Senate side, often closely working with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), as was the case last year with the NASA authorization legislation. Nelson, incidentally, is also up for reelection in 2012, and while he’s given every indication he plans to run again, he may face a much stronger challenge than in 2006. It’s thus possible two of major architects of that authorization legislation now guiding NASA may not be around two years from now.
January 12, 2011 at 8:24 pm · Filed under Congress, NASA
The full report NASA submitted to Congress this week on development of the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle spacecraft is now available online. The introduction of the report had this to say about the schedule and cost of developing the heavy-lifter included in the authorization act (emphasis added):
Guidance from the Administrator has established three principles for development of any future systems for exploration. These systems must be affordable, sustainable, and realistic. To date, trade studies performed by the Agency have yet to identify heavy-lift and capsule architectures that would both meet all SLS requirements and these goals. For example, a 2016 first flight of the SLS does not appear to be possible within projected FY 2011 and out year funding levels. Based on the guidance in the Authorization Act to take advantage of existing designs and hardware, the Agency has selected Reference Vehicle Designs for both of these vehicles as bases from which to work and which we believe most closely align to the requirements and goals of the Authorization Act. However, to be clear, neither Reference Vehicle Design currently fits the projected budget profiles nor the schedule goals outlined in the Authorization Act. Additionally, it remains to be determined what level of appropriations NASA will receive in FY 2011 or beyond — a factor that will impact schedule as well.
A few paragraphs later (again, emphasis added):
Currently, our SLS studies have shown that while cost is not a major discriminator among the design options studied, none of the design options studied thus far appeared to be affordable in our present fiscal conditions, based upon existing cost models, historical data, and traditional acquisition approaches. Operational costs will have to be scrutinized and reductions from current projections will be needed in order to ensure affordable operations and so that funds are available for other necessary Exploration developments such as long-duration habitats and landers. A feature of the Shuttle/Ares-derived reference vehicle is that it enables leveraging of current systems, current knowledge base, existing hardware and potentially current contracts, thereby providing schedule and early-year cost advantages. However, a 2016 first flight does not appear to be possible within projected FY 2011 and out year funding levels, although NASA is continuing to explore more innovative procurement and development approaches to determine whether it can come closer to this goal.
If the agency was expecting some sympathy from Congress, they didn’t get it, at least from key leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee, who issued a brief but stern statement Wednesday in response to the report:
We appreciate NASA’s report and look forward to the additional material that was required but not submitted. In the meantime, the production of a heavy-lift rocket and capsule is not optional. It’s the law. NASA must use its decades of space know-how and billions of dollars in previous investments to come up with a concept that works. We believe it can be done affordably and efficiently — and, it must be a priority.
In other words, go back and try again.
January 11, 2011 at 9:09 pm · Filed under Congress, NASA
There’s good news and bad news for advocates of heavy-lift launch vehicles today. The good news is that NASA has come up with a proposed HLV concept that it has delivered to Congress, Space News reports. That proposal was required by a provision in section 309 of the NASA authorization act, which requires NASA to submit, no later than 90 days after the bill’s enactment:
…a detailed report to the appropriate committees of Congress that provides an overall description of the reference vehicle design, the assumptions, description, data, and analysis of the systems trades and resolution process, justification of trade decisions, the design factors which implement the essential system and vehicle capability requirements established by this Act, the explanation and justification of any deviations from those requirements, the plan for utilization of existing contracts, civil service and contract workforce, supporting infrastructure utilization and modifications, and procurement strategy to expedite development activities through modification of existing contract vehicles, and the schedule of design and development milestones and related schedules leading to the accomplishment of operational goals established by this Act.
The Space Launch System concept that NASA submitted, according to report, is a close cousin to the Ares 5 concept that was in the agency’s previous plans: a core stage based on space shuttle external tanks with five SSMEs, two five-segment SRBs, and an upper stage using a J-2X engine. The stated design is similar to what NASA’s Human Exploration Framework Team (HEFT) was studying last year, according to a presentation obtained by NASA Watch.
There’s bad news, though, as well: according to NASA’s own documents, the “Reference Vehicle Design” can neither be built within the authorized funding levels in the act, nor completed by the act’s deadline of the end of 2016. The act authorizes just over $6.9 billion from 2011 through 2013 for the Space Launch System “and associated program and other necessary support”.
January 11, 2011 at 7:38 am · Filed under Uncategorized
In comments yesterday, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) suggested that NASA might have to forego the additional shuttle mission included in the NASA authorization bill because of problems with the external tank currently mated to the shuttle Discovery. “They do have an extra tank, because they always have that third shuttle flight that we have authorized in the NASA bill,” he said to reporters yesterday in a brief exchange about the status of the mission (video of which is available from Central Florida News 13.) “And if worst came to worst, and they felt like that this tank was not safe, they would stand down and, at that point, would only fly two more shuttle flights instead of the three that are authorized.”
NASA shuttle managers will provide an update on the status the next shuttle mission this afternoon, although there’s been no indication that they are considering such a tank swap, instead electing to reinforce aluminum brackets in the tank, where several cracks had been discovered.
January 11, 2011 at 6:57 am · Filed under Other
From AIAA president Mark J. Lewis:
On behalf of the members and staff of AIAA, I condemn today’s senseless tragedy, and express our collective thoughts and prayers for the recovery of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Our thoughts are also with Congresswoman Giffords’ husband, NASA astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly, United States Navy, and her parents, Spencer and Gloria Giffords. There have been few more dedicated to their office or better friends to space exploration and AIAA, than the Congresswoman, and we wish her Godspeed in her recovery. We also extend our sympathies to the families of the other seventeen victims of this senseless act.
From the Aerospace States Association:
“Rep. Gabrielle Giffords serves her constituents and her country with passion and with genuine enthusiasm,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “Our prayers are with her family and her staff as they get through this difficult situation.”
From the Space Foundation:
“Rep. Giffords is an extraordinary individual, an advocate for space and good friend of the Space Foundation,” said Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family, with the others who were injured and with the families of those who were killed in this senseless tragedy.”
From United Space Alliance:
Congresswoman Giffords is an optimistic, dynamic and upbeat Member of Congress. She is deeply respected for her many contributions to our nation on a wide variety of issues including the space program. We join her constituents, her colleagues in Congress and the entire NASA family in wishing Congresswoman Giffords a full and speedy recovery.
And a brief statement from the Planetary Society:
The board members and staff of the Planetary Society are saddened by this attack on Representative Giffords and other innocent bystanders, and offer their best wishes for her recovery and their sympathy to the other victims and their families.
Saturday’s tragedy has also resulted in one postponement: the Space Transportation Association has postponed a reception scheduled for late Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), new chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, was scheduled to appear. That event will be rescheduled to a later, as yet unspecified date.
[Comments for this post are on, but a reminder that, as always, to be respectful and relevant.]
January 8, 2011 at 7:31 pm · Filed under Congress, Other
From the Coalition for Space Exploration:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Giffords and her family as they begin the road to recovery,” said Glenn Mahone, chairman of the Coalition. “We also extend our deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones in this tragic occurrence and to the other victims and their families as they deal with the aftermath of this senseless tragedy.”
From the Commercial Spaceflight Federation:
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation wishes Representative Gabrielle Giffords a full recovery following today’s tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, and extends its thoughts and sympathies to Representative Giffords, her family, and the other victims of today’s events.
CSF President Bretton Alexander stated, “This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts go out to the victims of this attack. Congresswoman Giffords is a passionate supporter of the space program and NASA, and we wish her the best for a speedy and full recovery.”
Representative Giffords has served as a leader on the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee since 2008, and is also a member of the full Science, Space, and Technology Committee in the House of Representatives.
From House Science, Space and Technology Committee ranking member Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX):
I am profoundly shocked and sorrowed. Congresswoman Giffords is a bright, energetic Member of Congress as well as a valued Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. My thoughts and prayers are with Gabriel [sic] Giffords, her husband, Captain Mark Kelly, her family and the families of everyone affected by this tragic act of violence. I pray for Gabrielle’s swift recovery and for the well-being of all bystanders involved. I join all in denouncing this senseless act of violence
From Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), chairman of space subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee:
I am deeply saddened to learn of today’s events in Tucson. My prayers go out to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and all the victims, as well as to our NASA family, which includes her husband, who is training to be the next commander of the space shuttle mission slated for April, and her brother-in-law, who is currently serving aboard the International Space Station.
January 8, 2011 at 1:58 pm · Filed under Congress
Gabrielle Giffords speaks at the SpaceVision 2009 conference in Tucson in November 2009 with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot this morning outside a grocery store in Tucson, according to multiple media reports. Giffords was hosting an event outside the store when she and a number of other people, including several staff members, were shot by a single assailant. Giffords’s condition is currently unknown, but some reports indicate she was shot in the head. Giffords served as chair of the space subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee in the last Congress and was likely to be the ranking member of the same subcommittee or have a similar role in the new Congress. Her husband, Mark Kelly, is a NASA astronaut.
Update 4:05pm EST: At a press conference at the University Medical Center in Tucson, a surgeon says Giffords is out of surgery and he is “very optimistic” about the prospects for her recovery.
Update 5:20pm EST: NASA administrator Charles Bolden issued the following statement about today’s tragedy, also available on the NASA web site:
We at NASA are deeply shocked and saddened by the senseless shooting of Representative Giffords and others at Saturday’s public event in Tucson. As a long-time supporter of NASA, Representative Giffords not only has made lasting contributions to our country, but is a strong advocate for the nation’s space program and a member of the NASA family. She also is a personal friend with whom I have had the great honor of working. We at NASA mourn this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers go out to Congresswoman Giffords, her husband Mark Kelly, their family, and the families and friends of all who perished or were injured in this terrible tragedy.
Update 5:40pm EST: Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, released this statement through the committee:
I am shocked and saddened by this terrible news, and my prayers are with Gabrielle, her husband Astronaut Mark Kelly, her family, her staff, and all those who were injured and lost their lives and their families. Gabrielle has so many friends in Congress and is an outstanding Congresswoman for her district and for the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. I have been to her district with her to support solar energy and to the Cape with her to support the Shuttle flights. She is a wonderful person, and our prayers are with her, Captain Kelly, and the families of all the victims of this tragedy.
January 7, 2011 at 7:15 am · Filed under NASA, States
NASA administrator Charles Bolden spoke this week at the AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting in Orlando (the first speech by the administrator whose prepared text was posted on the NASA web site since a statement about the rescue of Chilean miners in mid-October). Much of Bolden’s speech was looking back at the shuttle program, but he did devote some comments to the agency’s future, noting that NASA is ready “to vigorously launch the exciting new direction we’ve been given through a strongly bi-partisan Authorization Act.” There’s nothing groundbreaking in his comments, although it may be worth nothing that he devotes a couple of paragraphs to commercial crew and cargo transportation development, and one to the additional shuttle mission authorized in last year’s act, but has only a single sentence about the Space Launch System, the heavy-lift launcher also authorized in the act.
In New Mexico, a change in administrations has cost Spaceport America executive director Rick Homans his job. Homans announced his resignation Wednesday, saying that new governor Susana Martinez (R)—who took office on New Year’s Day—had forced him to either resign or be fired. Homans had expressed an interest in staying on at least through the completion of the commercial spaceport’s construction later this year. Homans had served in several roles for former governor Bill Richardson, including as the state’s secretary of economic development when plans for the spaceport were announced a little over five years ago. The Martinez administration plans to form a search committee to find a replacement for Homans. In comments announcing his resignation, Homans said he’s concerned that the spaceport project could “slow down or fall apart pretty quickly” without a clear show of support for the effort by Gov. Martinez.
Martinez had previously indicated she had formed a “spaceport review team” to study the project, including its contract with anchor tenant Virgin Galactic; that team has received input from, among others, former astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Sid Gutierrez. Thursday, the Martinez administration announced that Schmitt has been nominated to be the state’s secretary of energy, minerals, and natural resources.
January 6, 2011 at 7:20 am · Filed under Congress, NASA
The 112th Congress started yesterday, which means big changes in the House as Republicans take power after four years of Democratic control. The new Republican leadership has already made its stamp on the science committee, which, according to its web site, is now known as the Committee on Science, Space and Technology; it had previously been known as the Committee on Science and Technology. (That’s one of the few visible changes for the time being, though: the site, which previously had been the one for the committee’s Republican caucus, still refers in some places to chairman Ralph Hall as the ranking member, and the link to the committee’s Democratic site was, as of Thursday morning, still listed as “Majority Website”.)
The name change, and other factors, have led some to conclude that the committee will take a sharper, more critical look at NASA and the Obama Administration’s space policy in the new Congress. “NASA may be especially susceptible to political wrangling in the new Congress because many influential Republicans” such as Hall, Nature News reported this week, “have NASA centres in their districts or states and support a strong manned-spaceflight programme. Their resistance will make it harder for Obama to give the agency a fresh direction.”
However, the ability of authorizers like the science committee to affect change at NASA may be limited during the next two years. With a three-year authorization act in place, there seems little opportunity to substantial changes to the bill: the House could always pass legislation to amend that authorization or make other changes, for example, but it would be difficult to get that through the Senate, which authored the current authorization act and whose proponents, like Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), remain in office. The committee can hold hearings, of course (and Hall has already talked about bringing executives of commercial spaceflight providers like SpaceX before the committee), and provide insights and advice to appropriators, but legislative actions may be more difficult to enact.
In the new Congress, it seems that influence on space issues will shift from authorizers to appropriators. Last year appropriators by and large deferred to authorizers, waiting for a NASA authorization act to be passed, and even then the best they could do was a Senate appropriations bill, which closely followed the authorization bill, that made it through the full appropriations committee but no further. The new Congress will soon have to take up an FY11 appropriations bill of some kind, and soon thereafter start work on FY12 spending bills, with concerns about reducing the budget deficit weighing on members. That’s likely where the real action will be in the next two years.
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