http://tinyurl.com/5sudask

Space Experts Highlight Need for Enduring Leadership in Space to Strengthen National Security and Continue Scientific Advancements
Sen. Hutchison Urges NASA to Adhere to Authorization Strategy
Republican Press Office – (202) 224-9767
May 18 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today pressed space experts on the importance and capability of continued manned spaceflight at a hearing of the Science and Space Subcommittee. Sen. Hutchison expressed her concern that the administration is delaying implementation of the NASA Reauthorization bill, passed unanimously out of the Senate and signed into law, last year. She called for continued use of the International Space Station (ISS) and efforts to preserve NASA’s skilled workforce.

“We have worked very hard to move NASA forward, and I think that the authorization bill that brought together the need for the commercial investment with the use of NASA’s workforce that has the experience of so many years of building the rockets and the launchers, and it strikes the appropriate balance,” said Sen. Hutchison.

Sen. Hutchison also stressed the importance of leveraging the ISS. She said, “We must use the opportunity for the unique research possible in the Space Station if we are going to reap the benefits from the investment we have made.”

Sen. Hutchison also pressed the witnesses, including Captain Frank L. Culbertson Jr., Astronaut and former Commanders of the International Space Station, whether NASA’s workforce stands strong enough to continue its mission amid layoffs and budget constraints.

“We are very concerned about the delays, the indecision, and the seeming unmotivated approach to modifying contracts so that [NASA] can keep the industrial base. From 14,000 contractors and civil servants that have been in the space shuttle work force, we are now down to about 7,000, so we’ve cut our expertise and our workforce in half, but what we were trying to do in the authorization bill was to create a new vehicle where these people who are transferred can keep their expertise rather than have them leave and not be able to get them back,” said Sen. Hutchison.

Capt. Culbertson expressed concern over layoffs, but assured Sen. Hutchison that the workforce is still strong, testifying, “the workforce on both the government and industry side that I see is still extremely competent, still capable of leading, still capable of making the right decisions and conducting operations safely, as well as moving out on the programs that are currently in the authorization bill.”

[snip]

http://tinyurl.com/3bflgem

Hearings
May 18 2011
Contributions of Space to National Imperatives
Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

[snip]

Last year, we drafted and passed legislation that laid out a carefully considered bipartisan vision of the best path forward for NASA. It was a vision that enabled ambitious investments in science, aeronautics, education and human space flight exploration, while also recognizing current budgetary constraints. It laid out a new way for NASA.

More than seven months after President Obama signed this bill into law, I am concerned NASA is not moving forward with implementing it with the urgency it requires. I’m worried that NASA’s inaction and indecision in making this transition could hurt America’s space leadership—something that would cost us billions of dollars and years to repair.

It is for this reason that I’m prepared to step up the Committee’s oversight today.

This morning I, along with members of this Committee, sent a letter to Administrator Bolden. The letter outlines steps NASA should to take to help this Committee determine whether it is fully implementing the law. As I’ve said before, implementation of the law is a priority for me, and for this Committee. We simply can’t afford to get it wrong.

I look forward to hearing more from our witnesses today about the impact of space investments on our economy, national security, technological innovation and global competitiveness. And I look forward to another 50 years of U.S. space leadership.

so sorry… didn’t drink or tweet. gotta work on “commitment” to these hair brained schemes of mine. I was prepared to do the strikeout though… but I didn’t hear anyone criticize of the SLS for not having any funded payloads… instead I heard praise for it’s potential role in the flexible path framework.

I got the feeling a few of the witnesses were trying too hard not to “oppose” the porkers.

Ha! I look forward to seeing your drinking rules!

So long as there is a Subcommittee on Subcommittees. Maybe more than one.

If ANYBODY during the meeting ever asks the question “and what contributions does the 2.5 billion per launch vehicle being suggested with no payloads make to national imperatives?” I’ll do a strikeout (bong load, shot, chug a beer, exhale) in addition to whatever other drinking rules I come up with, stay tuned.

I’m not altogether sure the Senate actually has a Committee Committee, but it certainly should have.