What’s Happening in Space Policy April 27-May 3, 2025
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of April 27-May 3, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
Musk’s Possible Role in Meink, Isaacman Nominations Continues to Raise Concerns
Troy Meink, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the Air Force, reportedly told the Senate Armed Services Committee that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sat in on his job interview with Trump. The revelation raises conflict of interest concerns since SpaceX has billions of dollars in contracts with the Department of the Air Force, which oversees the U.S. Space Force. It also resurfaces the question of whether Musk sat in on Trump’s interview with NASA Administrator-nominee Jared Isaacman. SpaceX is NASA’s second largest contractor. Isaacman has repeatedly declined to answer that question, but did tell the Senate Commerce Committee in response to post-hearing questions that he has terminated his contracts with SpaceX for two additional commercial spaceflights.
Last Updated: Apr 26, 2025 3:33 pm ET
Trump Praises Hubble, Promises America Will Lead the Way in Space Exploration
On the 35th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, President Trump issued a statement tonight promising America will lead the way in space discovery and exploration. His statement comes amid deep concern in the space community about the future of space science at NASA following a proposal from Trump’s Office of Management and Budget to cut space science by about 50 percent in FY2026.
Last Updated: Apr 25, 2025 12:37 am ET
U.S.-Russian ISS Commission: Controlled Deorbit, No Gap, are Imperatives
The U.S.-Russian Joint Commission that advises NASA and Roscosmos on operations of the International Space Station is stressing the need for a planned, controlled deorbit of the ISS at the end of its lifetime. Both primary and backup deorbit capabilities must be in place before the two-and-a-half year orbit-lowering process begins. That would put the ISS into the Pacific Ocean at the end of 2030. They also want to ensure there is no gap between ISS and whatever replaces it to ensure research critical to supporting human missions to the Moon and Mars continues uninterrupted.
Last Updated: Apr 24, 2025 9:04 pm ET
New Chinese Space Station Crew Lifts Off
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.
Last Updated: Apr 24, 2025 1:17 pm ET
What’s Happening in Space Policy April 20-26, 2025
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.
Last Updated: Apr 24, 2025 11:26 am ET
NASA’s Pettit Celebrates 70th Birthday Returning to Earth After 7 Months in Space
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.]
Last Updated: Apr 20, 2025 10:34 am ET
NASA Safety Panel Worried About Aging ISS, Need for Successor
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.
Last Updated: Apr 18, 2025 11:45 am ET
Decision to Move U.S. Space Command HQ to Alabama Expected Soon
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.
Last Updated: Apr 16, 2025 12:13 am ET
All-Woman NS-31 Crew Praise Teamwork, Sisterhood
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.