NSS to step up plans to advocate for NASA human spaceflight programs

The National Space Society plans to increase its efforts to advocate for NASA’s human spaceflight programs in the near future, but will also act as a watchdog for at least one element of that effort, the space advocacy organization’s executive director said Thursday.

Paul Damphousse, who became NSS’s executive director early this year, told the [...]

Senate postpones NASA hearing

Tomorrow’s scheduled hearing on NASA, “Transition and Implementation: The NASA Authorization Act of 2010″, by the Senate Commerce Committee, has been postponed to Wednesday, December 1, at 10:30 am. No reason for the delay was given.

There are two other space-related events going on in DC tomorrow, though. On Thursday morning the Space Transportation Association [...]

Briefly: Olson on the NASA bill, upcoming space policy conference

In a recent speech in the Houston area, Congressman Pete Olson blamed “an insurance item” for the House’s inability to pass the NASA authorization bill before going on recess nearly a month ago. According to local paper The Citizen, Olson told the Clear Lake Chamber that “the California delegation had a problem with an insurance [...]

Events, past and future

The Arms Control Association has made available a transcript of the panel discussion on the new national space policy hosted earlier this month by the association and the Secure World Foundation. (I included some quotes from that discussion in a piece last week on the new policy in The Space Review.)

Tuesday morning Rep. Ralph [...]

Briefly: Bolden, Dutch, and Garver

In case you missed it: the Orlando Sentinel reported Sunday that NASA administrator Charles Bolden is being investigated by the agency’s inspector general for a potential conflict of interest regarding a biofuels research program. Bolden reportedly sought the advice of officials at Marathon Oil, a company whose board Bolden previously served on, about a NASA [...]

Hearings and other upcoming events

It’s a little quiet on the policy front right now, although that will change tomorrow when the House Science and Technology Committee holds a hearing on NASA’s proposed human spaceflight plans. The hearing is very similar to the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the topic earlier this month, including repeat appearances by Charles Bolden, Neil [...]

Leave space to NASA (and Optimus Prime)

I’m in Colorado Springs this week for the National Space Symposium. Upon arriving at the Broadmoor yesterday afternoon this was the first thing that greeted me:

No, it’s not someone protesting NASA’s planned reliance on commercial ventures to transport crews to LEO. It’s one of the handful of protestors that turn up outside the conference [...]

Briefly noted: letters, speeches, and invites

A few items of interest as anticipation for this week’s presidential space conference at KSC builds:

More letter writing: a letter signed by a number of former astronauts, as well as former NASA administrator Mike Griffin and others, including Gene Kranz and Chris Kraft, criticizes the decision to cancel Constellation and asks the president to [...]

A space policy summit in Florida next month may be bad timing for some

Both Florida Today and the Orlando Sentinel report today that the White House is planning a “space summit” in Florida next month where President Obama will discuss his new vision for NASA. The timing of the event, though, could cause some heartburn for an organization over 1,500 miles away.

The event, expected to take place [...]

The Great Mars Blitz

Later today dozens of Mars advocates will be swarming Capitol Hill for the 2009 Great Mars Blitz, an afternoon of lobbying in the same vein as March Storm, the NSS Space Blitz, and related events. The purpose of the blitz, according to the site, is “to tell members of Congress and their staff why the [...]