What’s Happening in Space Policy July 10-16, 2022
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of July 10-16, 2022 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
NASA Rebukes Russia for Using ISS for Political Purposes
NASA issued a rare rebuke today of Russia, a critical partner in the International Space Station, for using the facility for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has been striving to keep the ISS out of the political fray, but Russia’s decision to show its ISS cosmonauts holding flags for two Ukrainian regions Russia now claims apparently tipped the scale.
Last Updated: Jul 07, 2022 10:36 pm ET
CAPSTONE Makes First Course Change
NASA’s CAPSTONE lunar cubesat successfully executed its first course change today after a communications glitch was resolved. The tiny spacecraft is taking a unique Ballstic Lunar Transfer trajectory to the Moon and will not arrive until November 13. At the moment, all is well.
Last Updated: Jul 07, 2022 5:34 pm ET
First Science-Quality Images from JWST Just Days Away
NASA and its partners in the James Webb Space Telescope will release the first science-quality images on July 12. The images are being carefully chosen to showcase the capabilities of the telescope’s four instruments and what they are expected to reveal about the formation and evolution of the universe from its earliest days until now.
Last Updated: Jul 07, 2022 6:05 pm ET
CAPSTONE! Phone Home!
NASA’s CAPSTONE cubesat, successfully launched by Rocket Lab last week, is not communicating with Earth. A public-private partnership between NASA and Advanced Space, LLC, the pathfinding cubesat separated from Rocket Lab’s upper stage yesterday, but soon stopped talking to NASA’s Deep Space Network. Troubleshooting is underway. [Update: communications were restored on July 6.]
Last Updated: Jul 06, 2022 12:53 pm ET
What’s Happening in Space Policy July 3-9, 2022
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of July 3-9, 2022 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess except for pro forma sessions.
Last Updated: Jul 03, 2022 5:09 pm ET
House Appropriators Hold Back on Increase for FAA Space Office, Endorse NTSB Role in Safety Oversight
The House Appropriations Committee plans to increase funding for FAA’s space office in FY2023, but not as much as the Biden Administration requested. In its draft report scheduled for approval tomorrow, instead of the $42.5 million requested for the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, it is recommending $33.7 million. That still is more than the $27.6 million for FY2022. The committee also weighed in on plans by the National Transportation Safety Board to get more involved in investigating commercial space accidents, a controversial idea, but one the committee endorsed.
Last Updated: Jun 30, 2022 4:53 pm ET
FY2023 Funding for NASA Takes Another Step Forward, NEO Surveyor Gets A Boost
Today the House Appropriations Committee approved the funding levels for NASA recommended by its Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee last week. The committee reduced NASA’s funding by half a billion dollars compared to the request, but it is $1.4 billion more than the current level. One program that got more than requested is the asteroid-hunting NEO Surveyor, pushing back on NASA’s proposal to delay it for at least two years.
Last Updated: Jun 29, 2022 12:08 am ET
Space Debris Efforts Making Progress in the Administration and with House Appropriators
The House Appropriations Committee is on the verge of quintupling funding for NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce and elevating its position within NOAA as requested by the Biden Administration. Though still short of the expansive plans once envisioned by the Trump Administration, it is an important step in bringing resources to bear to address space debris. At the same time, OSC Director Richard DalBello said last week that a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Commerce and DOD to implement Space Policy Directive-3 should be completed this summer.
Last Updated: Jun 27, 2022 7:57 pm ET
What’s Happening in Space Policy June 26-July 2, 2022
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of June 26-July 2, 2022 and any insight we can offer about them. The House will meet only in pro forma sessions this week, but committees will meet Tuesday-Thursday. The Senate is in session this week, but could leave a bit early for the July 4 recess.