A crew of three Chinese taikonauts lifted off this morning to the Tiangong-3 space station. Shenzhou-20 will replace the Shenzhou-19 crew who have been aboard for the past six months.  China began these routine crew rotations in 2022 following the example of the International Space Station that has hosted professional and commercial astronauts from many countries for more than 24 years.  Only Chinese taikonauts have been aboard Tiangong-3 so far, but China is getting ready to change that.

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Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of April 20-26, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess again this week, except for pro forma sessions, as part of their spring break.

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NASA astronaut Don Pettit and two Russian crewmates landed in Kazakhstan this evening, April 19, which was April 20 local time at the landing site. The time zone difference is important because April 20 is Pettit’s 70th birthday. NASA’s oldest active astronaut, he spent 220 days aboard the International Space Station and now has accumulated 590 days in space over four flights. Pettit appeared weaker than his crewmates after he was extracted from the Soyuz capsule, but NASA reports he is “doing well and in the range of what is expected for him.” [Update, April 20: Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield posted a photo of Pettit on X showing him smiling and giving a thumbs up. See below.]

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NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) said today the International Space Station has entered its “riskiest period” as the root cause of persistent air leaks in the Russian segment remains elusive. To assure there is no gap in the U.S. ability to conduct research in low Earth orbit, they stress NASA must move forward expeditiously to facilitate commercial space stations to replace the ISS by the end of this decade. They are upbeat about the Artemis lunar program, though, seeing “no showstoppers” for the Artemis II launch a year from now, although there is a lot of work to go for Artemis III.

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The release of a report by the DOD Inspector General today likely is a prelude to a decision to move the headquarters of U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, AL. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), has led a bitter four-year battle pitting the two states against each other on a bipartisan basis. President Trump chose Alabama days before leaving office in 2021, but President Biden overturned it in 2023, keeping it in Colorado. Rogers vowed to get the original decision restored once Trump returned to the White House.

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Six women flew to space today on Blue Origin’s New Shepard-31 mission, spending about 4 minutes in weightlessness looking down at the Earth from above the Kármán Line. The celebrity-filled flight included CBS journalist Gayle King who openly shared her fears before the flight, but was ecstatic afterwards. She and the others praised Blue Origin’s training and teamwork and their own sisterhood for what many of them described as a life-changing experience.

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Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of April 13-19, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess for two weeks, except for pro forma sessions.

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Just two days ago, NASA Administrator-nominee Jared Isaacman spoke glowingly about Trump Administration plans for a “Golden Age of Science & Discovery” at the agency. Yesterday, however, the Office of Management and Budget sent NASA details on what the White House plans to request for FY2026 reportedly showing a 50 percent cut to the science budget as part of an overall 20 percent cut to the agency’s top-line.

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At his confirmation hearing today, NASA Administrator nominee Jared Isaacman told Senators that returning astronauts to the Moon and sending them to Mars is not an either/or choice. The two can proceed on parallel tracks along with science programs, operating the International Space Station and building a commercial economy in low Earth orbit, all with NASA’s current budget. He was evasive in answering questions about Elon Musk’s role in getting him the nomination, however, but directly responded “no” when asked if he has been communicating with Musk since President Trump formally nominated him.

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Jared Isaacman will introduce himself as an entrepreneur, pilot, astronaut, and science advocate at his confirmation hearing tomorrow morning. President Trump’s choice to be the next NASA Administrator, Isaacman acknowledges he’s not well known, nor a typical nominee for the job, but has a robust vision for the nation’s future in space.

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