NASA « Space Politics

NASA in Palin’s new book

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 26 at 10:00 am ET

Earlier this week America by Heart, the latest book by former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, hit store shelves. The book, as it turns out, spends a little over a page talking about space policy—or, more accurately, contrasting the policies of the 1960s with what she considers the diminished horizons of […]

Would Congress object to an Orion demo flight on an EELV?

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 25 at 9:37 am ET

Lockheed Martin has gotten some attention this week with a proposal to conduct an unmanned Orion test flight as early as 2013. The test flight, using a Delta 4 Heavy launched from Cape Canaveral, would put the spacecraft into an elliptical orbit; the Orion would later splash down off the California coast. This is not […]

Briefs: Nelson’s complaints, New York’s fear of Texas

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 23 at 7:18 am ET

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) got some attention late last week when he criticized the White House staff on a number of issues, including space. Nelson’s speech came a day after he reportedly “lit into” President Obama in a Senate caucus session. However, Nelson’s NASA-specific complaint, the “misconception that Obama wants to eliminate the manned space […]

Bolden discusses NASA’s budget, China trip, and blogs he doesn’t read

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 20 at 9:37 am ET

While NASA administrator Charles Bolden has been putting in his share of appearances, he hasn’t said much, nor made himself available to the media: the last speech by Bolden on NASA’s web site (as opposed to a short statement) is from early September. Space News, though, scored a coup when it obtained a transcript of […]

Utah members concerned NASA “circumventing the law” on heavy lift

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 19 at 7:18 am ET

To hear members of Utah’s congressional delegation, the soundtrack on the ninth floor of NASA Headquarters these days is a certain Judas Priest song. “NASA has signaled an interest recently in possibly circumventing the law,” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said in a statement after a meeting Thursday with NASA administrator Charles Bolden and deputy administrator […]

Mollohan: “don’t know” if Congress will approve an appropriations bill

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 18 at 10:32 am ET

In an accepting an award from the Space Transportation Association during a Capitol Hill event this morning, Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV), the outgoing chairman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, immediately addressed the one issue on everyone’s minds about NASA’s funding for the coming year. “I don’t know, […]

Senate postpones NASA hearing

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 17 at 12:50 pm ET

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 […]

NASA’s top challenges

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 17 at 6:41 am ET

NASA’s Office of the Inspector General released Tuesday its assessment of the top management and performance challenges acing the space agency. The report identified six specific areas of concern:

Future of U.S. Space Flight Acquisition and Project Management Infrastructure and Facilities Management Human Capital Information Technology Security Financial Management

The first item covers a wide […]

Will the Space Coast have representation on the next House science committee?

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 17 at 6:25 am ET

Central Florida had two of its representatives on the House Science and Technology Committee, Reps. Alan Grayson and Suzanne Kosmas, who both served on the space subcommittee. However, both lost their reelection bids earlier this month. Will their successors also seek similar committee assignments? Only one appears interested, though, and only as a backup option.

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Congress returns, and more

By Jeff Foust on 2010 November 13 at 5:16 pm ET

Next week Congress will return in a lame duck session, seeking to pass a number of bills including outstanding FY2011 appropriations bills. Among those returning are a number of lame ducks who lost their reelection bids, including Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL), whose district includes KSC. Kosmas tells the Orlando Sentinel Saturday that she plans to […]

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