What’s Happening in Space Policy May 9-16, 2026
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of May 9-16, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
Brian Hughes Returns to NASA in Charge of Kennedy and Wallops Launch Operations
Brian Hughes, who headed the Florida arm of President Trump’s 2024 campaign and served as NASA Chief of Staff for several months last year, is returning to the agency to oversee NASA’s launch operations at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The top Democrat on the House committee that oversees NASA called on the agency to reverse the decision in part because Hughes does not have the expertise to ensure America can beat China back to the Moon.
What’s Happening in Space Policy May 3-9, 2026
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of May 3-9, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess this week except for pro forma sessions.
Ribbon Cutting at Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal Welcomes U.S. Space Command
Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday to mark the official beginning of USSPACECOM’s move to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. The occasion comes after a five-year battle between Alabama and Colorado to be USSPACECOM’s permanent home.
Lt. Gen. Doug Schiess Nominated to Succeed Space Force CSO Saltzman
President Trump is nominating Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess to be the next U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations as Gen. B. Chance Saltzman’s four-year term comes to an end. Established in 2019 during President Trump’s first term, the Space Force is the youngest military service and Schiess will be only the third person to serve in that position if confirmed by the Senate.
House Appropriations Subcommittee Clears NASA Bill on Party-Line Vote
The House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee approved the FY2027 bill that funds NASA today on a party-line vote, with all Democrats in opposition. Most of their objections were over parts of the bill unrelated to NASA, but concerns were voiced in particular about cuts to NASA science programs.
Artemis II Astronauts Visit the White House
President Trump welcomed the Artemis II crew to the White House today. During a press conference, he praised the three Americans and one Canadian who flew around the Moon earlier this month for the first time since 1972. Asked if he thinks Americans will land on the Moon during his term in office, Trump rated it as a “good shot,” but “we’ll see.”
House Appropriators Poised to Reject Proposed NASA Budget Cuts
The House Appropriations Committee is poised once again to reject the deep cuts to NASA proposed by the Trump Administration for FY2027. The Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee is recommending $24.4 billion, the same as FY2026, instead of the $18.8 billion requested. The subcommittee will mark up the bill tomorrow, the first step in the lengthy annual appropriations process.
Key Senators Agree NASA FY2027 Budget Request Inadequate
Senate appropriators from both sides of the aisle are joining their House counterparts in opposing President Trump’s proposed 23 percent cut to NASA for FY2027. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman once again defended the request at a hearing today before the Senate Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee. The hearing covered familiar ground, but Isaacman shared one surprising bit of potentially good news about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Top House NASA Appropriator Calls Budget Request “Disappointing”
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) told NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman today that he finds the agency’s FY2027 budget request “disappointing.” On a bipartisan basis, he and other members of the House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee expressed enthusiasm for NASA and Isaacman’s leadership even as Isaacman insisted NASA can do more with less. The Trump Administration’s FY2027 request is a 23 percent reduction from FY2026.