Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Commerce subcommittee with jurisdiction over NOAA, said that the report of the NPOESS Independent Review Team, chaired by Tom Young, is “pretty damning of the current process.” NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said that fixing NPOESS was one of her highest priorities, and the three agencies (NOAA, DOD, and NASA) are working with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to determine the best way forward. She said that the IPT put four options on the table, but did not elaborate. A SpacePolicyOnline.com summary of this congressional hearing is available here.

On May 20, Senator Bill Nelson stated at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, which he chairs, that the IPT recommended that NASA design and operate the system for NOAA with the cooperation of DOD instead of the tri-agency management structure now in place. He also said the program will cost an additional $1-1.5 billion. A SpacePolicyOnline.com summary of that hearing is available here.

The House Science and Technology Committee’s Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee is planning a hearing specifically on NPOESS next week (June 17, 2:00-4:00, 2318 Rayburn).

NASA has announced the dates of not only the first meeting (June 17) of the Augustine panel on options for NASA’s human space flight program, but for other meetings throughout its three-month term. In addition to June 17 in Washington D.C., other public meetings are scheduled for July 28 in Huntsville, July 30 in Cape Canaveral, and August 5 back in Washington, D.C. The full schedule can be viewed here.

Dwayne Day has written an excellent summary for The Space Review of last week’s symposium “Aligning Policies and Budgets,” sponsored by George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute: “Space policy 101: Civil Space 2009.”

I was pleased to be invited to be a member of one of the panels. My Powerpoint presentation is available here. Three of the other speakers also used PowerPoints (Scott Pace, Christopher Scolese, and Kevin Eveker) and they are available on the Space Policy Institute’s website.

The full House Appropriations Committee will markup the bill that includes NASA’s FY2010 funding (the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill) at 11:00 am today, June 9, in 2359 Rayburn House Office Building. According to the committee’s website, the markup will be webcast.

This is a crucial step for NASA’s budget and the Constellation program. Last week, the CJS subcommittee cut $700 million from President Obama’s $3.9 billion request for the program on the basis that a “time out” is needed while the Augustine panel deliberates on options for NASA’s future human space flight program. The Orlando Sentinel reports on two Florida lawmakers who are lobbying to get the funds restored.

No changes were made to the NASA budget today during full committee markup of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill for FY2010. The budget for the Constellation program remains at $3.2 billion, or $700 million below the $3.9 billion requested by the Obama Administration. CJS subcommittee chairman Alan Mollohan (D-WV) said that he expects the Administration to submit an amended budget request following completion of the Augustine panel and the funding can be reconsidered then. That panel has been established to look at options for the future of the U.S. human space flight program. Its report is due in August. Meanwhile, the CJS bill is scheduled to go to the House floor next Wednesday, June 17.

Our listing of events includes two markups this week. Wonder what a markup is? Check out our new fact sheet, “What’s a Markup?: Answers to That and Other Legislative Mysteries” on the left menu of our home page under “Fact Sheets and Reports.” Or just View it now.

NASA has set up a website for the Augustine panel that is assessing options for NASA’s future human space flight program — officially the Review of Human Space Flight Plans Committee. Not only does it provide information about the committee’s activities, but it is a place where the public can connect with the committee and offer input. “The human space flight program belongs to everyone,” committee chairman Norman Augustine said. ‘Our committee would hope to benefit from the views of all who would care to contact us.'”

http://hsf.nasa.gov

The following events that may be of interest have been announced for next week. This article is updated to add the June 9 House Appropriations Committee full committee markup of the CJS bill (which includes NASA, NOAA and NSF) since it is now on the Congress Daily (subscription required) calendar. Note: dates, times and witnesses for congressional hearings and markups are subject to change. Check with the respective committee for the most up to date information.

In Washington, DC

NASA. NOAA, NSF Budget Markup: House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of CJS Bill

June 9 11:00 am House Appropriations Committee 2359 Rayburn

DOD Budget Hearing: Senate Appropriations Subcommittee

June 9 10:30 am Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee 192 Dirksen

NOAA Budget Hearing: Senate Commerce Subcommittee

June 11 11:00 am Senate Commerce Oceans subcommittee 253 Russell

DOD Budget Markup: House Subcommittee Markup of DOD Authorization Bill

June 11 1:00 pm House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee 2118 Rayburn

(The other HASC subcommittees also will mark up this week, but national security space programs are primarily under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee).

In Pasadena, CA

June 8-11 NRC Astro2010 Program Prioritization Panels Pasadena Convention Center

Each of the four NRC panels has its own website where agendas can be viewed. Almost all of the space-related astrophysics projects are dealt with in the third panel (EOS), although the fourth deals with gravitation missions, e.g., LISA. Some portions of the meetings are closed. The main website for the Astro 2010 decadal survey is here.

Radio, Millimeter and Submillimeter Astronomy from the Ground (RMS)
Optical and Infrared Astronomy from the Ground (OIR)
Electromagnetic Observations from Space (EOS)
Particle Astrophysics and Gravitation (PAG)

Rep. Alan Mollohan, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (including NASA), released a statement that the subcommittee approved $18.2 billion for NASA for FY2010. While the statement says that it is an increase of $421 million over last year’s level, it is a cut of $486 million from the President’s request for FY2010 — $18.686 billion. A table showing changes to each NASA budget account is available on the committee’s website. Rep. Mollohan said:

“For NASA, the bill provides a total of $18.2 billion, an increase of $421 million over last year’s level. Investments have been made in Earth science to further the decadal surveys. The recommendation, however, acknowledges that the Administration has established a blue ribbon panel, led by Dr. Norm Augustine, to review the current vision for human space flight. Funds are provided in the bill to continue investments in human space flight at the same level as provided in fiscal year 2009. Reductions from the budget request should not be viewed as a diminution of my support or that of the Subcommittee in NASA’s human space flight activities. Rather, the deferral is taken without prejudice; it is a pause, a time-out, to allow the President to establish his vision for human space exploration and to commit to realistic future funding levels to realize this vision.

The Subcommittee looks forward to receiving the findings of Dr. Augustine’s panel and the recommendation of the Administration on the way forward. I do believe, however, in order to avoid continuing cost increases and further delays in the initial operating capability of our Nation’s next generation of human space flight architecture to follow the Shuttle’s successful and impressive run, it is imperative that the Administration and Congress provide the necessary resources to meet that policy directive – in the annual President’s budget and the annual Congressional budget process. When President Kennedy said we would put a man on the moon, the Nation followed – in spirit and with the resources to get the job done. We collectively should do no differently today.”

SpacePolicyOnline.com has a new fact sheet available. It tracks NASA’s FY2010 budget request as it moves through Congress. Click on “Our Fact Sheets and Reports” under “Civil” on the top menu. This first version shows the action by the House Appropriations CJS subcommittee earlier today.