Here are SpacePolicyOnline.com’s tidbits for September 17, 2020: People on the move (Stallmer, LaPlante, Sirangelo); Rocket Lab getting closer to Wallops launch; reality TV finding its way to space. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
Five years and many modifications later, Congress has finally passed bipartisan legislation to address how the U.S. government deals with threats posed by emissions from the Sun to critical elements of our infrastructure like the electric grid and satellites. PROSWIFT, S. 881, now awaits signature by the President.
The head of NASA’s human spaceflight program has added more mystery to the question of whether the first Artemis lunar landing mission will go to the South Pole. The issue arose earlier this week when NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine hinted that returning to an Apollo landing site in the equatorial region was under consideration. It was unclear if he meant for the first mission or later on, however.
Today’s breaking news is the discovery of phosphine gas in the clouds of Venus. The evidence was detected using ground-based telescopes. The question now is whether spacecraft will be sent to further investigate. NASA’s last dedicated Venus mission was launched decades ago, but two are competing for a chance in the ongoing round of Discovery missions.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine put in a good word today for returning to Apollo landing sites. NASA’s objective is to land the next U.S. astronaut crew at the Moon’s South Pole, but if that was determined to be “out of reach,” visiting an Apollo site near the Moon’s equator might yield scientific and inspirational benefits. He stressed that no such decision has been made.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of September 13-19, 2020 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session most of this week.
NASA wants to buy lunar resources mined by private sector companies by 2024. Companies do not have to physically deliver the material to NASA, just provide imagery showing they have it in their possession on the lunar surface. The point is to illustrate the U.S. position that space resource extraction and ownership by non-government entities is consistent with its obligations under the Outer Space Treaty and other international agreements.
Here are SpacePolicyOnline.com’s tidbits for September 9, 2020: LeoLabs foot stomps NAPA report; effort to get space weather bill this year; Boeing agrees to independent ethics audit in HLS inquiry (Reuters). Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
NASA announced today that Catherine Koerner is the new head of the Orion program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. A former flight director, Koerner has 30 years experience in the human spaceflight program and joins other women being assigned to top jobs managed by the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD).
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of September 6-12, 2020 and any insight we can offer about them. The Senate returns to work for legislative business this week. The House continues to meet only in pro forma sessions, but committees will hold hearings.