Events of Interest: Week of October 31-November 4, 2011

Events of Interest: Week of October 31-November 4, 2011

The following events may be of interest in the coming week. For more information, see our calendar or click the links below. The House and Senate both are in session this week.


During the Week

On Tuesday, the Senate is expected to vote on a bill, H.R. 2112, that combines three of the regular FY2012 appropriations bills: Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD). It is referred to as a “minibus” appropriations measure because it has fewer than all 12 appropriations bills, which, when combined, is called an “omnibus.” The CJS bill includes NASA and NOAA; the T-HUD bill includes the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation. If the bill passes the Senate, it still must be considered by the House. The government is currently operating under a FY2012 CR that expires on November 18.

China will also be in the news this week. The Chinese have not officially announced a launch date for Shenzhou 8, but the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which has a payload aboard, said that the launch is scheduled for October 31 Central European Time (November 1 local time in China).

Whether or not that launch takes place this week, two House committees coincidentally have scheduled hearings on China-related issues. Though they may not necessarily directly involve space activities, they might be of interest to this readership. The House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) will hold two: “Efforts to Transfer America’s Leading Edge Science to China” on November 2, and “Congressional-Executive Commission on China: 2011 Annual Report” on November 3. Media reports last week stated that the Commission’s report asserts that China attempted to interfere with two U.S. satellites in 2007 and 2008. Separately, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on November 2 on the “China Democracy Promotion Act” to deny entry into the United States of certain members of the senior leadership of the Government of the People’s Republic of China and individuals who have committed humans right abuses there.

Monday-Tuesday, October 31-November 1

Tuesday, November 1

Tuesday-Wednesday, November 1-2

Wednesday, November 2

Thursday, November 3

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