Today’s Tidbits: April 12, 2018
Here are our tidbits for April 12, 2018: House CJS subcommittee kicks off FY2019 NASA budget debate; Zurbuchen agnostic on astrophysics Decadal Survey timing; Gale Allen’s new job. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
House CJS Subcomittee Kicks Off FY2019 Budget Debate
The House Appropriations Committee’s Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee held the year’s first hearing on NASA’s FY2019 budget request today.
It was a very friendly hearing chaired by Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), one of NASA’s strongest supporters in the House. While several subcommittee members took issue with aspects of President Trump’s request — especially the proposed termination of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) — the complaints clearly were not aimed at the witness, Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot. Lightfoot is retiring from NASA at the end of the month and each member praised Lightfoot’s service.
We live-tweeted the hearing. Check our Twitter feed (@SpcPlcyOnline) for a real-time account. Here are a few key moments (please pardon typos).
Rep Hal Rogers- how can we recapture the “magic time” of Apollo landings? Do we need another race?
Lighftoot – I think it still is a magic time. When we land on Moon again will inspire everyone. In my opinion, don’t need race, but multidecadal thinking. Have plan, stick to it.— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) April 12, 2018
Rep Cartwright – agree, need multidecadal thinking, so need to follow Decadal Surveys. Why cancel WFIRST and earth sci missions?
Lightfoot – budget issues.— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) April 12, 2018
Culberson – to reinforce what Cartwright said, this cmte has told NASA to follow Decadals. We will have hearing on May 9 to look at astrophysics Decadal, WFIRST, etc. It’s just a proposal to cancel. “We don’t get too worked up over budget requests”
— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) April 12, 2018
Serrano – bad time to be cutting $ for earth science, with hurricanes etc.
Lightfoot- cuts were based on prioritization of what’s needed w/in budget constraints.
Serrano-we have such great respect for you on this sbcmt, don’t want to argue with you, but shouldn’t cut.those prog.— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) April 12, 2018
Lightfoot: now that you’ve given us money for second mobile launch platform fir SLS, can buy second ICPS and have flexibility as to what EM-2 is. Not going to fight battle now, but EM-2 could be Orion, or Europa Clipper, depending on which is ready first.
— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) April 12, 2018
Zurbuchen Agnostic on Astrophysics Decadal Survey Timing
NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen, said today that he “could come up with arguments on both sides” of the question of whether to delay the next astrophysics Decadal Survey or keep the current schedule. What is important is to have a conversation about it within the astrophysics community to determine the best course of action because the Decadal “will affect our lives a lot.”
Decadal Surveys are conducted every 10 years (a decade) by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to identify key science questions and propose missions to answer them for NASA’s science programs. The next astrophysics Decadal Survey is scheduled to begin soon and be completed in 2020. However, the recent delays of the launch the James Webb Space Telescope and the Trump Administration’s proposed cancellation of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) make this an uncertain time for the astrophysics community. Hence Zurbuchen proposed a two-year delay, but today he said he was not going to “put my foot down, but I want to put the word out that this discussion is really important.”
Zurbuchen’s comments were part of a question-and-answer session with NASA’s Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC). NASA’s Astrophysics Division Director, Paul Hertz, spoke to APAC yesterday.
Gale Allen’s New Job
NASA’s Acting Chief Scientist Gale Allen is retiring at the end of the month after 34 years of government service, but she will still be closely involved in space activities. The American Society of Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) has announced that Allen will be its new Executive Director.
Allen was Deputy Chief Scientist from 2011-2016. She became Acting when then-NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan left in 2016.
Allen has a B.S. and M.S. in chemistry, an MBA, and a doctorate in business administration with an emphasis on high technology partnerships. She began her NASA career at Kennedy Space Center as Chief of the Materials and Energy Branch and served as NASA Associate Director of Technology Programs and Commercialization. At NASA HQ she managed the Bioastronautics Research Program, served as deputy for the Human Systems Research and Technology Program, and Director of the Strategic Integration and Management Division before moving to the Chief Scientist’s office.
Allen will begin her new duties on May 1. Read more at: [https://tinyurl.com/y9gvgj9v].
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