In accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for president tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris vowed that the United States will lead the world into the future, including in space. Harris currently chairs the White House National Space Council that develops U.S. space policy across the civil, commercial, and national security sectors.
Jared Isaacman’s Polaris Dawn private astronaut crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center today a week before their scheduled launch. Isaacman and three crewmates will spend about five days aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon with the goals of setting a new altitude record for an Earth-orbiting human space flight and conducting the first non-governmental spacewalk. They also will conduct science experiments and raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the two weeks of August 18-31, 2024 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess until September 9 except for pro forma sessions.
NASA continues to analyze data about Starliner’s propulsion system before deciding if the Boeing spacecraft is safe enough to bring two NASA astronauts back to Earth from the International Space Station. Last week the agency said they would make a decision in mid-August, but today acknowledged it would slip to later in the month while stressing there is no fixed timeline. Safety is paramount and they’ll take whatever time is needed to make the best decision based on input from many sources, a lesson learned from past tragedies.
SpaceX is denying a report by CNBC today that it is violating environmental regulations at its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Citing notices from the Texas environmental quality commission and the federal EPA, CNBC reports SpaceX is releasing pollutants into nearby waters from the deluge system used for Starship tests and launches. SpaceX insists it is in compliance. This morning the FAA canceled five public hearings about expanding SpaceX’s use of Starbase that were to begin tomorrow saying they are seeking additional information from SpaceX.
Here are links to all the articles published on SpacePolicyOnline.com from July 28-August 11, 2024 including our “What’s Happening in Space Policy” for this coming week. Click on each title to read the entire article.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the next two weeks, August 11-24, 2024, and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess until September 9 except for pro forma sessions. …
NASA’s Office of Inspector General issued a highly critical report today on Boeing’s development of an upgraded version of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, Block 1B, and NASA’s oversight of the program. Block 1B will be able to launch much more mass to the Moon and is needed beginning with the 2028 Artemis IV mission. The OIG is skeptical that the date is achievable and estimates the cost will rise from $5 billion to $5.7 billion.
NASA officials said today they expect to decide in mid-August whether Boeing’s Starliner capsule will bring two NASA astronauts back to Earth or return empty. The continued uncertainty is driven in part by the fact that for the first time the agency actually has the option to return them on a different vehicle, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Redundancy was exactly the reason NASA wanted two commercial crew providers. Now they are weighing risks differently and decisions can take longer than expected.
NASA is delaying the launch of the next International Space Station crew exchange mission, Crew-9, as it continues to assess the health of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. Framing the decision as allowing “operational flexibility,” the agency will hold a media teleconference tomorrow to provide an update. When Crew-9 does lift off, it will be the first SpaceX crewed launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station next door to Kennedy Space Center.