NASA « Space Politics

Still scavenging for shuttles

By Jeff Foust on 2010 October 5 at 7:07 am ET

With the NASA authorization bill complete, members of Congress are turning their attention to other space-related matters–including, it seems, making their case to win one of the space shuttles when the fleet is retired next year. The authorization bill contains this relevant passage in section 603:

Upon the termination of the Space Shuttle program […]

NASA’s new future is already beginning

By Jeff Foust on 2010 October 1 at 5:16 pm ET

NASA is currently in a period of transition that goes beyond the retirement of the shuttle, end of Constellation (at least in its original incarnation), and introduction of elements of the agency’s new exploration strategy. While the NASA authorization bill passed by Congress late Wednesday night (and not yet signed into law by the president) […]

More Congressional reaction to the NASA bill passage

By Jeff Foust on 2010 October 1 at 10:00 am ET

The passage of S.3729, the NASA authorization bill, by the House, has elicited a broad range of reactions, even among members of the same party from the same state. “While I am by no means satisfied with the Senate version, I voted in support of it when it was presented today before the House because […]

Reaction to the House vote

By Jeff Foust on 2010 September 30 at 6:35 am ET

The final recorded vote for S.3729 in the House last night is available. There aren’t too many surprises in who voted for or against the bill; in addition to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who spoke out against the bill on the House floor, some Ohio representatives, including Dennis Kucinich (D) and Steven LaTourette (R), who had […]

The debate over the NASA bill, and its passage [updated]

By Jeff Foust on 2010 September 29 at 10:20 pm ET

Update 11:45 pm: The House did pass the bill in a recorded vote by well over the two-thirds margin needed: 304-118.

For about 45 minutes this evening the House debated S. 3729, the NASA authorization bill. Because the bill is taken up under suspension of the rules, the debate was relatively streamlined, with no opportunity […]

One more lobbying push on the NASA bill

By Jeff Foust on 2010 September 29 at 1:00 pm ET

The House is in session right now, but there’s no timetable for consideration of the Senate NASA authorization bill. This morning there’s been one final wave of statements about the bill and requests for people to contact their representative regarding it. Late this morning NASA released a statement from administrator Charles Bolden expressing his support […]

Post wants a better compromise

By Jeff Foust on 2010 September 29 at 6:23 am ET

It’s official: the Senate NASA authorization bill is on the floor schedule for the House today as the sixth of six bills to be considered under suspension of the rules. With that in mind, the Washington Post sounds off on the state of the agency and its future in an editorial Wednesday, its second in […]

Griffin to House: just say no

By Jeff Foust on 2010 September 28 at 9:02 pm ET

Former NASA administrator Mike Griffin, who has previously said he liked the original House version of the NASA authorization bill more than the Senate’s version, is now openly calling for House members to vote against the Senate bill when it comes up for a vote tomorrow. “After considerable reflection, I have reluctantly come to the […]

Reaction to the House’s decision

By Jeff Foust on 2010 September 28 at 7:21 am ET

While the announcement yesterday by Rep. Bart Gordon that the House will vote this week on the Senate’s version of a NASA authorization bill, rather than its own, would seem to clear the way for passage of the bill, advocates of the Senate version are not resting. Because the House will take up the bill […]

Gordon: House to vote on Senate authorization bill Wednesday

By Jeff Foust on 2010 September 27 at 2:18 pm ET

It appears that advocates of the Senate version of the NASA authorization bill have won their battle: House Science and Technology Committee chairman Bart Gordon issued a statement Monday afternoon saying that he anticipated the full House to take up the Senate bill on Wednesday. “It has become clear that there is not time remaining […]

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