UPDATE: Events of Interest: Week of July 31-August 7, 2011

UPDATE: The LightSquared hearing on August 3 has been postponed.

The following events may be of interest in the coming week. For more information, check our calendar on the right menu or click the links below. The House and Senate are both in session this week. Times and dates for congressional activities are subject to change.

During the Week

Just like last week, the debt limit/deficit reduction debate is expected to be the all-consuming topic, at least in the early part of the week. Cautious optimism prevails that some sort of deal will be struck by Tuesday, August 2, when the Obama Administration says that the United States no longer will be able to pay all of its bills.

Meanwhile, the House is expected to continue consideration of the FY2012 Interior-Environment appropriations bill, which includes the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The House Appropriations Committee denied USGS’s proposal to take over the Landsat program completely from NASA; it already operates the existing Landsat satellites.

Sunday-Wednesday, July 31-August 3

• AIAA et al Joint Propulsion Conference, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA

Monday, August 1

• Houston Urban Debate League Space Policy Day, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, TX, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm CDT
• NASA press conference on Dawn’s orbital insertion around Vesta, JPL, Pasadena, CA 12:00 noon EDT (9:00 am PDT) Watch on NASA TV

Tuesday, August 2

• NASA Advisory Council (NAC) Technology and Innovation Committee, NASA/Ames, Moffett Field, CA, 8:00 am – 2:45 pm PDT
• NAC Commercial Space Committee, NASA/Ames, 8:15 am – 2:45 pm PDT
• NAC Education & Public Outreach Committee, NASA/Ames, 8:30 am -2:45 pm PDT

Tuesday-Wednesday, August 2-3

• NAC Science Committee, NASA/Ames
  • August 2, 7:30 am – 2:45 pm PDT
  • August 3, 7:30 am – 11:30 pm PDT
• NAC Space Operations Committee and Exploration Committee Joint Meeting, NASA/Ames
  • August 2, 8:00 am – 2:30 pm PDT
  • August 3, 9:30 am – 11:30 am PDT

Wednesday, August 3

• POSTPONED: House SS&T Committee hearing on Lightsquared, 2318 Rayburn House Office Building, 10:00 am EDT

Wednesday-Friday, August 3-5

• National Research Council (NRC) committee on Space Radiation Cancer Risk Model, NRC Keck Center, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington DC. Most sessions of this meeting are closed.

Thursday, August 4

• FAA Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) Space Operations Working Group, telecon, beginning at 1:00 pm EDT

Thursday-Friday, August 4-5

• NASA Advisory Council (NAC), NASA/Ames
  • August 4, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm PDT
  • August 5, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm PDT

Thursday-Sunday, August 4-7

• Mars Society Convention, Embassy Suites Grapevine, Dallas, TX