Pentagon « Space Politics

Posey introduces spaceport infrastructure bill

By Jeff Foust on 2012 April 20 at 6:23 am ET

Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) introduced legislation Thursday that will make it easier for commercial entities to use and upgrade military launch infrastructure. The text of the “Revitalizing Americaâ€™s Commercial Entrepreneurs (RACE) for Space Act”, HR 4401, hasn’t been posted yet, but Posey’s office said in a statement that it would allow commercial space companies to […]

Export control report due out today

By Jeff Foust on 2012 April 18 at 7:09 am ET

From the “better late than never” department: according to several reports, including Defense News, the Defense Department will release the final so-called “Section 1248″ report about satellite export control reform later today. A press conference at the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs is scheduled for midday today titled “Update on Space Export Control Reform”, […]

Could the DOD’s launch vehicle block buy plan get blocked?

By Jeff Foust on 2011 October 19 at 7:45 am ET

As part of its efforts to reform its procurement of space systems, the Air Force has looked at a number of strategies, including the concept of “block buys”, where a relatively large number of items—satellites, rockets, etc.—are purchased at a time, allowing for lower per-unit prices. A plan to do a bulk buy of EELV-class […]

Briefs: Air Force shuttle funding request, upcoming hearing

By Jeff Foust on 2011 February 16 at 6:36 am ET

People in both Ohio and Florida are abuzz over an item tucked away deep in the Air Force’s budget request for FY12. On page 599 (PDF page 604) of operations and maintenance budget document the Air Force requests $14 million to transport a space shuttle to the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, […]

NOAA and DOD highlights

By Jeff Foust on 2011 February 15 at 7:12 am ET

The FY2012 budget proposal includes $1 billion for the Joint Polar Satellite System, the NOAA/NASA successor to the NPOESS satellite program. The funding, if allocated, would be used to “undertake continued development of instrument, spacecraft, and ground segment development to meet launch readiness dates,” the fact sheet summarizing the budget request states. As Space News […]

How will NASA plan to “win the future” in its budget request?

By Jeff Foust on 2011 February 14 at 5:51 am ET

Later today the Obama Administration will release its fiscal year 2012 budget proposal, with NASA planning a press conference this afternoon to discuss details of its proposed budget, adopting the “win the future” theme that the president rolled out in his State of the Union address last month. The atmosphere this year is very different […]

Briefs: letters, amendments, and agreements

By Jeff Foust on 2011 February 8 at 6:48 am ET

In a letter to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) asks the president to follow the guidance of last year’s NASA authorization act when requesting funding the space agency. “As we approach the rollout of your FY 2012 budget request, I look forward to a plan that is consistent with the NASA Authorization […]

Pentagon releases National Security Space Strategy

By Jeff Foust on 2011 February 5 at 9:45 am ET

On Friday the Defense Department released its new National Security Space Strategy (or, to be precise, an unclassified summary of that document). The document provides a high-level overview of the goals of US national security space activities and the broad issues associated with achieving them. The strategy, said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in a […]

Briefs: Security strategy, Stadd’s sentence starts, Sino Sputnik

By Jeff Foust on 2011 February 4 at 6:15 am ET

Republican senators are concerned about US support for an outer space “code of conduct”, the Washington Times reported Friday. The article says that 37 Republican senators have sent a letter to Secretary of State Clinton, claiming that the code could restrict development of systems to protect satellites from ASAT weapons. The article also reports that […]

Briefs: Palazzo visits Stennis, recalling NPOESS missteps

By Jeff Foust on 2011 February 2 at 7:19 am ET

Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) paid his first visit to NASA’s Stennis Space Center as chairman of the space subcommittee of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee on Tuesday. Palazzo indicated he’d be looking out for the center, located in his district, while in Congress. “We have the infrastructure here to be able to do […]

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