Space Policy Events for the Week of November 11-17, 2013

The following events may be of interest in the week ahead.  Once again we are defining the “week” to last through next Sunday since there are MAVEN-related activities that day before our next edition of this series is out.   The House and Senate are in session beginning Tuesday (Monday is a federal holiday–Veterans Day).

During the Week

The list of events this week is so long and chock full of interesting activities that it’s tough to choose just one or two to highlight.  

Our top picks include Tuesday’s “Beyond Earth: Removing Barriers to Deep Space Exploration” panel of officials from NASA and its major contractors, coupled with Friday’s “Space Exploration: How and Why?” with a panel of former NASA and “New Space” folks.   The Friday panel includes former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (now General Manager of the Air Line Pilots Association), former NASA Comptroller and former NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Steve Isakowtiz (now President of Virgin Galactic), another former NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Laurie Leshin (now Dean of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), and former astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria (now President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation).    Should be interesting to compare the different perspectives.  Both panels are being held in Washington, DC.  Tuesday’s is at the Newseum; Friday’s at the National Press Club.  Click on the links below for more details.

Another interesting event is Wednesday evening’s Earth from Space at the U.S. Naval Memorial in Washington, D.C.,  sponsored by the American Astronautical Society.  Former astronaut Piers Sellers, now at Goddard Space Flight Center, will introduce a condensed version of NOVA’s film Earth from Space.  After the film, Sellers and other experts in earth observation from space will participate in a panel discussion.  Unlike many evening business events in D.C., this time the reception is AFTER the film and panel discussion.  The film starts at 6:00 pm ET and doors open at 5:30 so you can be in your seats on time!

The National Research Council is kicking off a NASA-sponsored study this week on “A Framework for Analyzing the Needs for Continuity of NASA-Sustained Remote Sensing Observations of the Earth from Space.”  That’s quite a mouthful so we just call it “Continuity of Remote Sensing from Space.”  On Tuesday afternoon, agency reps (NASA, NOAA, USGS) and possibly Peter Collohan from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (listed as “invited”) will tell the committee what they want the study to focus on. 

Also on the space-based earth observation front, former astronaut Kathy Sullivan’s nomination to be Administrator of NOAA is rescheduled for action before the Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday.   It had been scheduled for October 3, but was postponed because of the government shutdown.  Sullivan is currently acting NOAA Administrator.

Lots and lots of other interesting events on tap, though.  Pick YOUR favorites!

Monday-Friday, November 11-15

• Workshop on Space Technology Applications for Socio-Economic Benefits (United Nations-Secure World Foundation), Minsk, Belarus

Tuesday, November 12

• Beyond Earth: Removing Barriers to Deep Space Exploration (Marshall Institute et al), The Newseum, Washington, DC, 9:00-10:30 am ET (will be broadcast on NASA TV)
• MSBR Luncheon Featuring Piers Sellers, NASA/Goddard, Martin’s Crosswinds restaurant, Greenbelt, MD, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm ET
• NASA-Bigelow Aerospace Media Availability, Phoenix Park Hotel, Washington, DC, 2:30 pm ET
• Rescheduled Senate Commerce Committee Markup of Nominations, including Kathy Sullivan to be NOAA Administrator, 253 Russell, 5:40 pm ET

Tuesday-Wednesday, November 12-13

• NASA Advisory Council (NAC) Planetary Protection Subcommittee, NASA/Goddard, Greenbelt, MD

Tuesday-Thursday, November 12-14

• National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Continuity of Remote Sensing from Space, National Academy of Sciences building, 2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC
• NRC Committee on Additive Manufacturing of Space Hardware, NRC Beckman Center, Irvine, CA

Wednesday, November 13

• NASA News Bfg on Success of COTS Program, NASA HQ, Washington, DC, 11:30 am ET
• Earth from Space (American Astronautical Society), U.S. Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 6:00-8:30 pm ET (doors open at 5:30 pm; film begins at 6:00 pm; panel at 6:30 pm; reception at 7:30 pm)

Wednesday-Thursday, November 13-14

• Space Situational Awareness 2013, London, England
• Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee (AAAC), National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA
• SATCON 2013, Javits Convention Center, New York City

Thursday, November 14

• Robotics and Autonomous Systems (Women in Aerospace), Hilton Houston Clear Lake, Houston, TX, 8:00-10:00 am CT

Friday, November 15

• Space Exploration: How and Why? (Arizona State University), National Press Club, Washington, DC, 9:00-10:30 am ET (coffee at 8:30 am ET)
• NASA MAVEN pre-launch press conference, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 1:00 pm ET (in English)
• NASA MAVEN press conference, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 2:00 pm ET (in Spanish)

Sunday, November 17

• NASA MAVEN mission science briefing, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 10:00 am ET
• NASA briefing on “The Path Towards Humans to Mars”, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 11:30 am ET