What’s Happening in Space Policy January 19-25, 2025
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of January 19-25, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
FAA Requiring Mishap Investigations for Both Blue Origin and SpaceX
The FAA is requiring Blue Origin and SpaceX to perform mishap investigations for their separate launch-related anomalies yesterday. Blue Origin’s New Glenn-1 mission successfully reached orbit, but the first stage did not land on a barge in the Atlantic as planned. SpaceX’s Starship Integrated Flight Test-7 ended when the second stage, Starship, disintegrated over the Caribbean near Turks and Caicos Islands.
Last Updated: Jan 17, 2025 4:33 pm ET
NRO’s Meink Is Trump’s Choice for Secretary of the Air Force
Troy Meink, an experienced national security space professional, is President-elect Trump’s choice to be the next Secretary of the Air Force. Currently Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, which works closely with U.S. Space Force, Meink will be in charge of USSF once confirmed. USSF is part of the Department of the Air Force.
Last Updated: Jan 16, 2025 11:29 pm ET
SpaceX Catches IFT-7 Booster, but Loses Starship
SpaceX succeeded in catching its huge Super Heavy booster back at the launch pad for the second time today, but the Starship second stage was lost. After investigating what happened, they concluded a fire developed in the aft end of the vehicle resulting in a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly, or RUD. SpaceX asserts the debris fell within the prescribed hazard area in the Caribbean and is asking anyone who finds debris not to handle it and contact them or local authorities.
Last Updated: Jan 17, 2025 11:42 am ET
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Reaches Orbit
Blue Origin successfully launched the New Glenn rocket for the first time this morning, but fell short on landing the reusable first stage on a barge in the Atlantic. The company, owned by Jeff Bezos, already launches the New Shepard rocket carrying passengers and other payloads on short suborbital flights, but this was its first attempt at orbital flight. Named after John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to reach orbit, New Glenn will deliver payloads to Earth orbit and beyond, including Human Landing Systems to the Moon for NASA.
Last Updated: Jan 17, 2025 2:37 pm ET
American, Japanese Landers on the Way to the Moon
Two lunar landers, one American and one Japanese, are on their way to the Moon this morning. The two are unrelated except for sharing a ride on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and are taking different routes to their lunar destinations. Blue Ghost Mission 1, built by the U.S. company Firefly, will land on March 2. The SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon lander/rover, built by Japan’s ispace, will take longer, arriving at the end of May or early June.
Last Updated: Jan 15, 2025 2:22 pm ET
Isaacman Wins Support, But Also Criticism from Republicans
Jared Isaacman’s expected nomination as NASA Administrator is winning both support and criticism from Republicans. Two prominent Republicans involved in crafting the Contract with America that led to Republicans gaining control of the House in 1995 for the first time in decades praise him as a man with “the right stuff” to lead the agency at this critical juncture. But others complain about his contributions to Democratic candidates and that his companies embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies, which they oppose. For his part, Isaacman is enthusiastic about taking on the role and ensuring America never settles for second place in space.
Last Updated: Jan 14, 2025 4:48 pm ET
It’s a Scrub for the Inaugural Flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is still on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch was scrubbed about 3:00 am ET this morning, two-thirds of the way through the three-hour launch window after a series of unexplained delays. The main goal for this first mission, humorously designated “So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance,” is just to safely reach orbit, but that will have to wait. The company, owned by Jeff Bezos, has not announced when they will try again.
Last Updated: Jan 16, 2025 7:31 am ET
What’s Happening in Space Policy January 12-18, 2025
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of January 12-18, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
Last Updated: Jan 15, 2025 12:53 am ET
NASA Will Finalize Mars Sample Return Architecture Next Year
NASA will wait until the middle of next year to decide on the fastest, cheapest way to get the samples now being collected on Mars by the Perseverance rover back to Earth. Agency officials said today they will continue engineering studies of two options, one using an upgraded version of JPL’s sky crane and the other a commercial “heavy lander,” to determine which will get the samples here soonest at the lowest cost.